Conviction
by Pyro146
Summary: Natasha's memory is taken from her, the only thing she has left is her name. Loki happens across her by pure chance and becomes the one person she can trust among a world of people trying to tell her who she was, describing nothing but a cruel monster. WARNING for some graphic bits and pieces, including some heavy smut. More specific warnings in each chapter. R&R.
1. Nothing But A Name

**Warning for slight description of torture.**

* * *

The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced in her life. She had been under so many different fiends and subjected to such a variation of torture that she thought there would never be anything that could break her. But she was so very wrong. It didn't even stem from anywhere specifically, the machine seemed to be broadcasting agony directly into her head.

Screaming was inevitable, no matter how long she had tried to withstand the urge to cry out. People were talking to her but there was simply no way for her to be able to comprehend their words as her body writhed an seized, strapped down across her arms and legs. Her back arched and her head thrashed to the side but there was no escape and there was no way to fight it.

Her mind could only take so much, it had been so strong in the past and she had been through so much but it had reached a point where it could no longer cope and everything imploded. Her body stilled in an instant, no longer straining to be free of the bonds. The two men in white coats looked at each other for a moment and nodded, one of them hit a button on the side of the metal chair and it lowered away from the metal ring that was surrounding Natasha's head.

Natasha's heart was racing as she opened her eyes, glancing up at the two men with fear and confusion.

"Can you hear me?" One of them asked, speaking with a thick accent and Natasha simply nodded before looking down to her arms and giving a gentle tug against the thick restraints.

"Wh-wh-wh-" She looked back up, swallowing thickly, unsure of what she even wanted to ask.

"Can you tell me where you are?" The other man asked, leaning closer to look at her dilated pupils, scribbling a note down on the clipboard he was holding. Natasha frowned and winced, the effort of trying to figure out where she was had sent a sharp spike of pain through her head. She shook her head, beginning to shake slightly.

"What about your name?" The first one asked and she didn't even have to think about it before answering.

"Natasha." She said quickly, feeling a slight pride as though it hadn't been the simplest of questions.

The men exchanged a look and one of them sighed, hitting the button to raise the chair again, the other brought the metal ring back around her head. "It didn't work, move it up to speed three and we'll try for longer this time."

Natasha didn't understand why, but the metal ring meant pain to her and she was suddenly terrified of being anywhere near it.

"No!" She shouted and viciously started to twist her body, managing to loosen the buckle around her right ankle. As the men rushed to secure it, she whipped her leg up and kicked one in the face, knocking him out instantly. She cringed as she yanked at her left wrist and was able to free it even though it hurt badly to do so. She heard the crack of her bone protesting and whimpered, gritting her teeth as she hurriedly freed her right.

With an agile roll she threw herself to the side but landed heavily on the floor, tangling in the plain medical gown she was dressed in, quickly scrambling to her feet and away from the other man who was attending his partner.

"Hey!" He yelled as she made a break for the door. He tackled her around her waist and they both sprawled across the floor. He tried to grab at her arms but she squirmed out from under him and crawled forward, kicking back with her leg. She felt her heel connect harshly with his head and he slumped, whether dead or unconscious she didn't care.

She struggled shakily to her feet and stumbled forward, falling against the wall and taking a moment to catch her breath. She didn't know who the men were or how she even came to be in the white room, but she had absolutely no intention of staying. The door would not open, no matter how hard she shook it and she saw a small electronic device beside the frame.

One of the men had a flat tag around his neck and she seized it, ripping it away from him and sliding it through the thin slot to unlock the door with a quiet beep. She found herself in a long hallway that was just as white and clean as the room she had awoken in, but just as unfamiliar. She ran as fast as her legs would allow, terror showing on her face as she repeated the only thing that she knew of herself.

"My name is Natasha. My name is Natasha. My name is Natasha."

* * *

Loki absolutely hated Midgard with a passion. It was a dark and dreary world that boasted nothing but miscreants and primitive beings. He could not believe he had ever wanted to rule it. But more embarrassing than that – he had been defeated by the humans. All of them seemed to believe that he was capable of some redemption, even after himself protesting against such a fact. For nearly two years he had been under their watch and though he had not played up. Much.

He would never stop with his mischief, even though each mild act set the world more and more against his favour and the view of him was deemed more negative. He had only played nice for the first year so that Odin would lift the curse that suppressed his powers and once those had returned his fun had begun again. But it was mostly all in secret, a lot of his 'pranks' were done in a way that drastically inconvenienced a lot of people, but he was never discovered as the source.

It wasn't about needing recognition for his acts, he was happy with the knowledge that people were going crazy with frustration.

He was not permitted to leave the military base that he was kept on, Thor was constantly his personal guard though he seemed to enjoy the task and hardly ever stopped his incessant babbling. No matter how strong Loki's hints were, Thor would stay by Loki's side as he aimlessly wandered around the base and pretended not to notice the apprehensive looks by the other agents that milled around.

Nobody had any idea that he could leave the base, a copy was always left behind and Thor was never wise to the act, never understanding that sometimes Loki could be away for an entire day. He never went anywhere specific, just wandered around among the humans and observed things, needing to get away from the military side of things.

He didn't usually stay out at night but it was the one time he considered breaking his self imposed curfew that he saw a strange sight indeed.

He recognized Natasha instantly, even while the darkness was setting in, his night vision far surpassed any of the people around him and she was wearing a hospital gown of some sort, creating a white sheen under the streetlight. Loki paused in his steps as he watched her from quite a distance away, stumbled across the road and seeming confused and disorientated.

She was casting fearful looks over her shoulder but to from what Loki could tell, she wasn't being followed by anybody. He was intrigued, it was not often that the stoic and fearless Black Widow was often seen in such a state.

He teleported to her and was surprised as she yelled in shock and backed away from him, casting him a look of terror before turning and trying to run the opposite way. He watched her with confusion, though he would never say they were on the best of terms, animosity had certainly dulled since the first time they had met. He doubted he would ever earn her forgiveness, but he had never expected her to be _scared_ of him.

He teleported in front of her again and this time she seemed to react by reflex, slamming her fist toward the bridge of his nose. He caught it with ease, while being faster than a normal human, she was still lacking that extreme speed that he knew she possessed. She gasped and pulled back, but she was no match for him physically and they both knew it. Or at least she _should_ have known it, but she tried to yank her arm from his grip, her eyes wide and darting between her hand and his face.

"Agent Romanoff." Loki growled, not entirely sure what was going on. "Must you continue this pointless struggling."

"My name is Natasha!" She stopped her movements and stood tall, her shoulders back and anger replacing the fear on her face. "Natasha!"

Loki blinked, his confusion heightening enough to shock him into releasing his grip on her wrist. He didn't know why she was acting in such a way, he knew her skills for deceit were legendary but there would be no point in such a strange charade.

"You always insist that I call you 'Agent Romanoff'." Loki said quietly, his green eyes watching her intently as she draped her arms around herself. But his comment sparked something in her and she took a sudden step forward, earnestly gazing up at him.

"Do you know me?" She asked, a slight pleading in her voice as though desperate for him to say yes.

"I do." He said simply, tilting his head to the side as he studied her. What reason could she have for playing such a strange game?

"Are we friends?" She asked and it took all of Loki's will to deny the chuckle wanting to come to his lips. Friends was the very last way to describe the relationship he had with the little assassin, they had only recently stopped being enemies and he was certain she had dreams of plunging a knife through his skull. Her next question stumped him and it was not often that something could shock Loki.

"Will you help me?" There was a desperation emitting from her and Loki was stunned. She was not a woman to ever ask for help and especially not from him. She didn't even recognize him, she was completely vulnerable and in need of his assistance. Thoughts of revenge flooded his mind as he watched her, all these delicious plans that would teach her the consequences of ever thinking she was above him. He could do anything to her, physically, emotionally, she was utterly at his mercy. But, perhaps he was experiencing a moment of uncharacteristic softness, for he could not bring himself to act on any of the torturous thoughts infecting his mind.

"Yes." He said quietly. "I will help you."

Her body almost sagged with relief, her eyes shining with so much gratitude that she couldn't speak for a moment, seeming to take a second to collect herself.

"What is your name?" She asked, genuinely interested.

"Loki." He watched her carefully, needing to see if there was any form of recognition in her eyes but there was nothing to suggest that she knew who he was.

"Thank you Loki." She whispered, glancing around her in fear as she heard people yelling randomly across the street.

"You will be safe with me." Loki said calmly. The comment amused him, considering he was known as the God of Lies, it seemed that he could in fact utter the truth once in a while.


	2. Strangers

Natasha's head was pounding and her wrist was nearly as bad, but that seemed to be the extent of her physical injuries. She was aware of her body shaking but she attributed that to her mix of confusion and disorientation, it couldn't be helped. Her initial impression of Loki was hard to establish, he obviously seemed to know her but she had no clue as to who he was. His hair was nice though, it was one of the first things she noticed after calming down and making the decision to stop trying to attack him. His hair and his eyes. They were so very green and full of depth.

She eyed him in a subtle way as they walked slowly down the street, he stood tall and straight, his posture was excellent and his hands were clasped behind his back in what seemed to be a well practiced stance. There weren't many people out, it was getting to be late and Natasha supposed everyone was going home, but those who remained were casting strange looks toward the pair. Loki stood out as much as she did in her medical gown, it was a mixture of various reasons that ensured he did not blend into the crowd very easily.

"It is rude to stare." He said quietly, continuing to look straight ahead and she dipped her head, feeling guilty at being caught.

"Sorry." She murmured, quickening her pace a little to try and keep up with his long strides. "You just seem very different from everybody else." She saw the corner of his lips twitch slightly, but he still didn't break his forward gaze.

"I am nothing like these people." He informed her and she swore his shoulders set themselves a tad higher, surely a sign of pride or dignity.

"Are you foreign?" Natasha asked, not bothering to try and be subtle as she looked back to him, her eyes studying the perfect contours of his cheekbones.

"I am not from around here." Loki said simply but did not make any indication that he was going to explain further. Natasha resisted the urge to roll her eyes, receiving the feeling that he was not much of a chatter and yet that was what she wanted. She needed to know more and any information might have helped her.

"Where are we going?" She looked at her surroundings and realized that he had led her in a circle, they had gone around the block and ended up outside a café that they had already passed.

"I needed to wait until the guard had changed shifts." He wasn't looking at anything in particular, his eyes were glazed as though deep within a memory. Natasha waved her hand in front of his eyes, noting that he didn't seem to be able to see her at all. His statue like stance and unseeing eyes sent a chill up her spine and she folded her arms across her chest, her hands rubbing the cold skin of her arms.

"Take this." Without even looking at her, Loki maintained his glazed stare and shed the outer layer of his extravagantly designed clothing. They were thick robes that crisscrossed in on themselves and were not made from a material that Natasha recognized. It was only really at that moment that Natasha realized how odd Loki's looked in reference to what he wore. He handed the long cloak to her and waited for her to take it, still staring at something Natasha couldn't see. Wordlessly she accepted and wrapped the material around her shoulders, noting it was heavier than it initially appeared, draping right to the ground. But it was surprisingly warm and more comfortable than she would have expected.

A comparison to Loki, of sorts. She was aware that he seemed to be so standoffish, certainly not a man who would be deemed approachable. Yet he was willing to help her and even gave her defence against the cold. She realized he must be a good man and it made her very curious as to how she knew him.

"We can go now." Loki said and looked back to her, his emerald eyes focusing on her. He took a step forward and gripped her wrist, not very hard but she still flinched from the flash of pain the motion sent through her. He released his hold almost hesitantly, and glanced down at the injury. Before she could even speak he had grabbed it again and lifted it to eye level.

"Humans are so easily breakable." He murmured, definite amusement in his tone. Her closed his palm over the area and Natasha felt a icy rush up her arm. She blinked with wide eyes as his hand turned a delicate shade of blue for a moment before he lifted it away and the blue turned back to a more natural color. Natasha moved her hand, shocked that the pain had disappeared completely.

"You are welcome." Loki said pointedly after she simply stared at him in silence. She opened her mouth but had no idea of what to say and closed it again before she could appear to be stupid. To her surprise, he chuckled lightly and took hold of her wrist once more, but with a much gentler grip.

"Prepare yourself, this method of travel is usually… uncomfortable." The corner of his lips twitched slightly before he closed his eyes and Natasha felt an extreme tug on her body. Her eyes snapped shut and the breath left her lungs in a panicked gasp, her body feeling as though it was squeezed through an incredibly tight tube.

As quickly as the agony had filled her, it ebbed and she swayed with nausea, opening her eyes to discover they were now in some kind of facility. She would have toppled to the ground if Loki hadn't put a steadying hand on her lower back, keeping her upright.

Natasha glanced around with even wider eyes, unable to understand how they had suddenly come to this location when they were only just out on the street.

"What just happened? Where are we?" She demanded, fire in her eyes as she gazed up at Loki, still clutching his cloak around her shoulders. "How did we get here?" He raised an eyebrow but kept his expression neutral, opening his mouth to speak but was cut off by a voice yelling down the hall.

"Natasha! There you are!" She turned at the mention of her name and saw a man running toward her. He was dressed in a tight fitting leather outfit, various weapons could be seen across his body and she blinked in surprise as she noted a bow and quiver on his back. As he reached her she took a hurried step back, which he didn't even seem to notice. "Two days Tash! _Two days_ you have been out of contact and you just waltz back in without even checking through security!" He was definitely angry at her, but she got the feeling it was more for concern rather than anything else.

"My name is Natasha." She said quietly and the rage in his expression altered to bewilderment as he simply stared at her in confusion. "Not 'Tash'. Natasha."

"What… what are you talking about?" The man asked impatiently, stepping forward to grab her wrists tightly. She didn't even consider her actions, the attack came from reflex and her body reacted without any will of her mind. She slammed her head forward and earned a cry from the man who promptly released her wrists to clutch at his nose. Natasha darted forward and pulled a knife from the sheath on his hip, swiftly moving it to his throat and forcing him back against the wall.

"Tash! What the Fuck-"

"Natasha!" She growled angrily as she pressed the blade into his skin, drawing a tiny amount of blood. The man was wide eyed as he took his hands away from his nose and placed them defensively in front of him.

"Okay, okay, just calm down." He said softly, nothing but concern showing in his eyes. Natasha hesitated and stepped back, lowering the knife to her side.

"I-" She tried to speak but he moved faster than she could have believed and spun her around, trapping both her arms behind her back and ignoring her struggling protests.

"Get off me! Let me go you bastard!" She jerked her body and tried to kick him but he swept her legs from under her and forced her to the ground, pinning her down with his body.

"Natasha you need to calm down and tell me what is going on!" He yelled above her own shouting, gritting his teeth with effort of holding her down.

Natasha was terrified, this strange man had her trapped and all she could think was that she would be taken back to the place where she had awoken. She had forgotten Loki was even there, too preoccupied with the other man but she noted huge feet appearing just in front of her face. She stilled and glanced up at his form, well aware that he did not look happy in the slightest.

"Barton, I would suggest you release her." He spoke with an icy tone that sent fear through Natasha even though she was not the one he was even speaking to.

"Piss off Loki!" The man growled, taking her quietness as an opportunity to call for back up over his radio. "Cap, can you get to my location ASAP? Got a problem here."

Natasha tried to look behind her but a hand was placed on the back of her head to push it against the cold floor. She whimpered and tried to struggle again but the movement only brought pain to her arms, which were pulled behind her at an unnatural angle. All of a sudden, the weight that pinned her was gone and she was able to breathe freely. She scuttled forward and moved to her knees, using the wall to clamber to her feet. As she turned she could see Loki holding up the other man by the back of his shirt. It was an undignified sight, to see a man squirming pointlessly against such a hold. Loki was glaring with distaste, however the two men knew each other, it was clear that they were not close friends.

"Don't touch me again!" Natasha snarled at the man, pulling Loki's cloak around her once again after it had fallen to the floor during the altercation.

"What is going on!" A booming voice sounded from the end of the hall and Natasha turned to see another two men hurrying toward them. One was very tall, long blonde hair coming over his shoulders, a huge red cape trailing down his back and across the floor. He looked ridiculous and Natasha couldn't help but stare. Like some sort of dress up convention had been in town. The other was of a muscular build, with neatly brushed hair and a vibrantly colored outfit, very American looking. And he carried a shield of all things. Who the hell were these crazy people?

The one with the shield hurried to her and tried to place a hand on her shoulder, obviously with the intention of checking her for injuries.

"Natasha thank god you are back!" He exclaimed, ignoring the way she pushed his hand away. "We had intel that you had been taken, good to see you in one piece!"

"Captain your assessment is premature." Loki spoke up, bringing all eyes to him. "She is missing something quite vital. Her memory." The others all blinked in confusion and looked back to Natasha, who took a step backwards, uncomfortable with the sudden attention she was receiving.

"What did you do to her!" The man with the bow yelled and dived for Loki. The one with the long blonde hair and the cape stepped forward before a fight could start, both men looking as though they wished to tear the arms off the other.

"Look at me Natasha." The Captain commanded and his tone prompted Natasha to comply, turning her gaze to him but not making any move to come closer. "Is this true?"

She could do nothing but nod, still keeping her distance from the strangers, subconsciously edging a little closer to Loki. She didn't notice his smirk as he realized what she was doing. He had promised that she would be safe with him and she was taking him at his word, he was the only one who had helped her so far and he was the only one she was willing to trust.

"We need to get her to medical." The Captain proclaimed, "Loki, come with me and tell me everything you know, Clint and Thor, take Natasha to see Bruce and get him to do a full brain scan or whatever he thinks will help."

Before Natasha could react, Clint had taken hold of her wrist again and was trying to pull her down the hall as the man with the red cape followed closely. "No!" Natasha tried to struggle against him when her other escort took her free arm and she was shocked beyond belief at how strong he was, it was completely unnatural. "No! Let me go! Loki!" She cried out for help and caught a glimpse of Loki just as she was yanked around the corner. His green eyes were flashing with pure rage as he watched the scene and he tried to take a step forward but the Captain pointedly nudged him in the other direction. She continued to fight as her terror increased, even if Loki had decided to abandon her then she was not going to simply accept her fate as these strangers dragged to off to an unknown location.


	3. Embracing Imperfection

**Warning for SMUT. Oh yes.**

* * *

"Let me go! Get off me!" Natasha's pleas for release were ignored as she was manhandled onto a bed and her efforts to struggle were proved useless as thick restraints were quickly wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Her heart was racing so fast that it bordered on painful, these strangers were trying to do something bad to her and she was not going to comply willingly. Her back arched as she yelled at them, though they seemed as though they couldn't even hear her, moving something heavy from behind her, a large machine of some kind that she couldn't quite see.

The man called Clint appeared in front of her suddenly and put his hands on her shoulders to hold her still. He was staring at her intently, as though trying to see through her eyes and understand what was going on.

"Natasha, you need to calm down." He told her with a lowered tone, "Bruce is going to run some tests okay? We will fix you, everything is going to be alright." Another man appeared beside him and gazed down at her with a confused expression.

"You truly don't remember me?" He asked her, folding his arms across his chest. Natasha knew he was a doctor of some kind, judging by the white coat he was wearing, but he didn't have a name tag that she was able to read. She shook her head, calming a little but still panicking on the inside. "What about the Other Guy? Do you remember him?"

"Who?" Natasha blinked in confusion, having no idea what he was talking about. He gave her a pained smile that she didn't understand and turned away, pushing a button of some kind that started to raise the bed and tilt it so it moved upright at an angle. Natasha glanced up and gasped when she saw the metal ring above her head, being lowered to just above her so it was like an eerie halo.

"NO!" She screamed, resuming her struggling with a violent force, enough to shake the bed and make the supports creak loudly. "NO! You can't!" It was just like the metal ring that she had seen when she first awoke and her terror was becoming unbearable. She screamed as both the men tried to hold her still and she heard someone say something about anaesthesia, prompting another scream.

The doctor grabbed her arm and she saw the needle he carried, but she was able to do nothing as it slid into her skin. She didn't even feel the injection part, the pain was far to insignificant in comparison to everything else she was feeling. All she had left was a name and she was terrified that once she went under, she would wake up without it.

Before the doctor could actually push the plunger and give her the anaesthetic, a hand grabbed his arm and everybody in the room stopped their rushed panicking. Natasha sucked in a breath as she saw Loki standing beside her, having appeared from nowhere, staring at the doctor with a warning look in his eyes.

"Let. Go." The doctor said to Loki, but he seemed to be undeterred.

"I suggest you release the patient." Loki said in an icy tone that dripped with malice. He tightened his grip on the man's arm pushing him to the side and away from Natasha. As he was forced to move, the needle slid out of her arm and she breathed a sigh of relief, her terror easing ever so slightly.

Without anybody touching them, the buckles around Natasha's wrists and ankles undid themselves and fell to the side, allowing her to step forward off the bed and move instinctively behind Loki.

"Brother, you need to let them help her." It was the man with the ridiculous looking cape that tried to reason with Loki, his hands splayed in front of himself to indicate a defensive position. "They can assist her. Why are you doing this?"

Loki turned toward the other man and finally released his hold on the doctor, who stepped away and rubbed his wrist which was baring a slight red mark, nothing too drastic.

"I made a royal oath." Loki told his brother, whose eyes widened at the words. Natasha glanced up at Loki and frowned slightly, she didn't even know how she was aware of it, but she knew he was lying as he spoke. Apparently she was the only one in the room that could pick up on that. "I swore by the rivers of Asgard." Loki continued, "You know as well as I do that the oath must be completed."

"What did you swear?" The other man asked, caution showing in his eyes. To Natasha's surprise, Loki smirked as though playing a game in which he had just received the upper hand.

"You know I cannot divulge the details Thor." He placed a hand on Natasha's shoulder and stepped a little closer. "Now if you will excuse us." Natasha barely had time to prepare her body for what she assumed was coming and she was suddenly placed through that tight darkness again, though it did not last nearly as long and was not nearly as agonizing as the last time.

She glanced around to discover she was in some kind of lavishly decorated bedroom, the walls were mostly covered with black and green drapes woven of a fine material, reminding Natasha instantly of Loki's robes. There was a large bed across the far wall, with an ornately carved golden framing that held up more designer fabric and gave a very royal appearance.

"Where are we?" Natasha asked quietly, still turning in a circle to try and view all of her surroundings.

"We are still at the base." He informed her, his expression far less intrigued than her own as he too surveyed the scene. "These are my quarters. With some persuasion from Thor, I was allowed to decorate them as I saw fit. Though much smaller, this area is quite similar to my room back home."

"And Thor is your brother?" Natasha asked, moving over to a small table that housed a tray of fruits and a jug of liquid. She bent over slightly to take a sniff and screwed up her face. It was alcohol of some sort and it was extremely potent. She didn't even notice that Loki did not answer her question, moving straight on to another. "What is a royal oath and why did you lie about making one?"

Loki chuckled and she looked back to see he was gazing at her with a smirk, his eyes showing amusement. He placed his hands behind his back, which made him seem even taller, if that was possible.

"You certainly always had the ability to know when I was lying."

"Why does that amuse you?" Natasha asked, moving back to him and folding her arms. "How do we even know each other?" Loki answered neither of her questions, moving to the window and pulling the massive draped shut, dimming the room significantly.

"There is a bathroom, just through that door." He indicated behind her with a lazy flick of his hand. "Perhaps you wish to clean yourself up." Natasha tried not to take that insultingly, she knew she was a mess and she didn't smell the best either, so she was actually thankful to be allowed the chance to wash herself. Without another word she moved through the door and was surprised to find a bathroom nothing like his lavishly decorated bedroom. She didn't know what she expected to find, but it was all relatively normal, lots of clean white surfaces with polished porcelain.

After locking the door pointlessly, considering the man on the other side had the inexplicable ability to teleport wherever he wanted, she turned on the shower and waited a few moments for it to steam up the bathroom. The hospital gown was shed without a care, not exactly a piece of clothing that she had any sentimental value to and she stepped into the powerful stream of water, sighing as it washed over her body and soaked her instantly.

Her heart was still beating rapidly and her mind was still a mess but she was trying to concentrate on one thing at a time. Whoever Loki was, however she knew him, he was at least helping her. He wasn't trying to strap her to a bed, he was the one freeing her from the others. People who she was supposed to know but couldn't remember. She closed her eyes and tried to recall something, anything from before she awoke in the facility, but it only brought a sharp pain and caused her to grimace.

She opened her eyes and looked down at her body, a body that she didn't even remember. There were some mild bruises of various coloring, nothing that concerned her in the grand scheme of things, but she noticed a few scars dotted around and she was curious. None of them were large and the wounds had evidentially healed well, but it seemed so strange that she couldn't even remember when she received them.

After cleaning herself as thoroughly as possible, she shut the water off and stepped out into the centre of the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the stack on the vanity. Movement caught her attention just as she was about to wrap the towel around herself and she set it down, using her palm to wipe the steam from the mirror. Staring back at her was obviously her reflection, but it just looked like a stranger. She could see herself, but nothing looked familiar, it could have just been a completely different person gazing at her through a sheet of glass.

"Who am I?" She whispered to the reflection.

"That is the greatest question of life, is it not?" She jumped at the voice beside her and looked up at Loki who had yet again appeared from nowhere. He turned toward the mirror and stared at his own reflection, a thoughtful expression on his face. "We spend our whole lives searching for the answer. Some will never find it. Others wish they hadn't."

Natasha said nothing as she watched him, simply reaching over to the towel she had placed down and slowly wrapping it around her torso. The action made Loki chuckle and he turned to her with a smile. "Humans. So strange. What is the point in covering yourself when I have already seen it all?"

"Modesty." She answered, though even as she said it, she got the feeling that it was not a large priority for her. Her confusion must have shown on her face because he stepped forward and looked her in the eyes, his smile widening.

"You are lying." He whispered, but it was not aggressively, he was merely pointing out a fact. He moved back again and looked at the mirror. "You cover yourself because that is instinct. You do not know why, but you do it anyway."

"Do you talk like this all the time?" Natasha asked, not entirely sure what point he was trying to make. He raised an eyebrow at her, the rest of his face remaining neutral. "I mean with such… wisdom filled words. You seem very philosophical."

"My people were part of your history." He said rather cryptically, "Though we have fallen into myth and legend, we are just as real as you once believed we were."

"Why do I have so many scars?" Her words were hardly above a whisper as she turned to him fully. "My body, has so much evidence of fighting, of imperfection. Why?"

Loki frowned as he also faced her and to her surprise he placed a hand under her chin, tilting it slightly higher. Before she could understand what he was doing, he moved his hands to her shoulders and set them at an even level, gently moving her feet apart so they were in line with her shoulders. The confusion on her face must have been blatantly obvious.

"That is how you should stand while speaking of your scars." He said, taking a step back again. "They are not imperfections Natasha, they are evidence of triumph. Of victory. Of battles that you entered with a worthy opponent and came out as the glorious one. Wear them with pride, do not look down on them."

"Do you have any scars?" She asked quietly and she was sure he paled slightly.

"I do." He said simply. She waited, unsure if he understood that she wanted to see them. It was clear to her, that he did not want to show them to her.

"At least you know where yours came from." There was a sadness in her voice that he picked up on. It prompted him to begin removing the layers of his clothing, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Sometimes, it is best not to know." He told he as he took off the last layer and revealed a well shaped torso of flawless skin. He was muscular, but not overly so, it was a general toned elegance and yet Natasha was certain he held a hidden strength.

"There are no scars." Natasha said confused and he took a small breath before he turned around. Her hand flew to her mouth as she saw his back, a shredded mess of scarred skin that had been brutally attacked, over and over, without any sort of mercy. Long lines crisscrossed over each other and travelled from the base of his neck to the lowest point of his back. "What… what happened?" She whispered, taking a step forward and reaching out a tentative hand. Loki flinched as her fingers brushed over one of the largest scars and he suddenly spun around to face her again.

He moved so fast, it was impossible to comprehend even as he held her wrist and pushed her back against the wall. "Why would you touch them?" He hissed, anger in his eyes.

"Why wouldn't I?" Was her only answer, apparently it was the right one, considering the hesitation that flashed across his face and he let go of her wrist. She didn't know who Loki was, or what had happened to him, but she was definitely aware that he had been through a heavily traumatic event and he was suffering through pain that lingered in his mind. One hand reached up and gently cupped his cheek as she gazed into his shimmering eyes.

"You have been through so much." She said quietly, watching his eyes soften at her words. "So much pain, so much betrayal. But you are stronger for it. Even as you deny it and try to fight it-"

He moved fast again, sealing his lips against hers in a motion that took her breath away. His hands were suddenly cupping her cheeks and the kiss which had started soft, became desperate. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close, allowing his probing tongue into her mouth to battle with hers. A sigh escaped her as he pressed his body tightly to hers, awaking all sorts of feelings within her.

His hands travelled down her sides and the towel was removed from her body in a flash, tossed carelessly on the floor. He gripped her thighs and lifted her as she wrapped her legs tightly around him, winning a small victory for a moment with his tongue. A playful growl sounded from his throat and the kiss deepened, one of his hands placed on her back to hold her up, the other at the back of her neck to assert his dominance over her.

She wasn't aware of him moving but suddenly she was being thrown down onto a gloriously soft material and he was above her instantly, kissing her chest with a mouth that knew exactly what it was doing.

"Have we.. ever.. done this before?" She asked with gasping breaths as he traced his fingers along her inner thigh, obviously trying to tease her.

"We have not." He murmured, his lips moving to her ear and delivering the words with an icy breath. "But I would be lying if I said I had not thought about it. Multiple times."

Natasha chuckled before she tipped her head back and a moan escaped her lips, Loki's fingers brushing over an incredibly sensitive spot for a second before he slid one inside her. "You're good at this aren't you?" She was trying to keep her wits about her, but he was sending delicious waves of pleasure through her as he bent to suck on her nipple. He laughed, his lips vibrating against her skin slightly.

"My dear, there are entire books that depict my sexual deviancy throughout the ages." She wasn't sure how to understand that comment, but a second finger sliding into her seemed to take the need away entirely as she focused on the physical side of the situation.

"Word has it, you are too." He mumbled, pressing his lips to hers as his slender fingers slid in and out of her at a torturously slow pace. "It is a special skill that you have. A talent. You are known for it." More confusion filled her but she could barely hear his words anyway, his fingers were demanding all her attention.

She moaned again and heard a sigh from him, detecting a slight annoyance. "Oh, of all the things I have wanted to do to you." He muttered, increasing the pace of his fingers as he bit at her neck softly, "To have you in such a vulnerable position. I would have teased you unbearably. Yet the sounds you make.. I cannot do it. I cannot wait."

Without further delay, his pants simply disappeared without him having to remove them physically and he moved between her legs, a hungry expression on his face.

"Beautiful." He whispered as he guided himself to her entrance and slowly pushed in. Natasha gasped and arched her back, a sheer wave of delight rolled through her as she felt him enter her, his size was enough to bring a mix of pleasure and pain, stretching her, filling her. She closed her eyes and let out a louder moan, being cut off as his lips pressed against hers once again. He didn't move for a few moments, laying full bodied over her and seating himself fully within her.

"Look at me." He murmured quietly and her eyes opened to meet his, willing him without words to end the torture. To have him so deeply within her, but not moving, it was agony, filling her with desperation. He was so very heavy, she would have assumed him to be so much heavier than a normal man, even though his body was lithe and toned. Without any warning he gave a sudden thrust, not breaking eye contact. Natasha cried out in delight and gripped his shoulders as he repeated the motion.

He stilled for a second and she glared at him with frustration, her time of being helpless and vulnerable was over. "Don't stop." She commanded with an authoritive tone and he smiled at her.

"You think you are in a position to control me?" he cooed, moving back and then sliding forward, slow enough to drive her wild. She let out a growl after yet another moan and clenched at his hips with her knees, using momentum to roll them over so she was on top. The motion send waves of pleasure through and she started to move her hips, placing her hands on his chest to gain traction.

A loud groan came from his throat as he arched his back and pushed himself deeper into her, his hands grabbing at her hips to control her motions with more force than she could deliver. It continued that way for quite some time until Natasha could feel a powerful orgasm building, prompting her hips to increase their pace even with the help of his hands. She cried out as she climaxed, her nails digging into Loki's skin and she was aware of him finding his own release inside her, slamming himself as deep as possible, muttering something in a language she didn't understand.

She collapsed forward on his chest, gasping for breath as her body jerked slightly, riding the after effects of such a glorious orgasm. Before she could even speak, Loki's arms wrapped around her and he flipped them so he was above her once again.

"You did not think that was all, did you?" He took her hands and pinned them above her head, stretching her body out as he began to move inside her once again. There was no slow pace or teasing, he was showing her just how much power he could display and her pleasure filled cries sounded in the air in time with his grunts, the force of his hips was deliciously brutal and Natasha didn't care how sore she would be later, she was drinking in every moment between them.

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**Thanks for the reviews so far. Hopefully this chapter wasn't too long, I kind of got caught up in writing it.**


	4. Devious Minds

**Warning for some smut that may or not be a little twisted, depending on how strong your views are. Completely consensual by the way. Enjoy and let me know what you think!**

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Loki awoke hours before his counterpart, his body was able to recharge its proverbial batteries a lot faster than the human he had shared the night with. For the first time in a while, his sleep had been restful, the plaguing nightmares had allowed him a break and his dreams had been a mix of images that did not bring the usual pain and fear. This ensured that when he did rise from his slumber, his body felt far more relaxed than usual.

He had actually forgotten about the female in his bed, there was once a time when it would have been stranger to wake up alone, rather than with somebody else. Loki had never been the behavioural type, even in Asgard he had always been in trouble for his activities with the serving staff that roamed the palace. It amused him to no end, the way he would be punished for such a thing and yet his 'brother' would never be chastised for the way he rallied with women. Favouritism, Loki was no stranger to the concept.

When he rolled over and saw Natasha he blinked in surprise for a moment. For a second, for just one second he forgot about the events of the previous day, about finding the infamous Black Widow wandering around in disorientation, with no memory of who she was. He forgot that he had helped her back to the base and then taken her away from the others, bringing her to his quarters with the promise of safety. She was still asleep, lying on her side but facing away from him, the blankets only covering the bottom half of her body and revealing the almost entirely smooth skin of her back. If not for the vibrant red curls, he would not have initially assumed it was Natasha.

Once he remembered everything, he sat up slightly, moving fluidly so the bed was not jostled and she remained in slumber. He moved his hand over her back, a soft blue glow shining from his palm so he could see her skin better. She had an excellent figure, it was toned to perfection from years and years of training, the muscles had been worked continuously and shaped her perfectly for her job. He narrowed his eyes as he saw the marks she bore across her back, marks he had never seen before due to her being fully clothed when she interacted with him, with an exception of the previous night and even then he had only seen her from the front.

The scars trailing down her spine were very different to his, not nearly so many and they were not nearly so vicious, much smaller and of a different color. But they were obvious in origin and Loki was able to tell instantly that they were branding marks. There was about five or six and they were in lines that didn't appear to have any specific shape, as if she had just been burnt for the sake of it. He wondering if she even knew, she had seemed so surprised at the rest of the scars on her body, scars that were insignificant compared to the ones on her back. Perhaps she hadn't seen them yet. He had no idea where or when she had received them, he knew little about her, apart from what Barton had first told him upon arrival to Earth, but he understood her life was one of battle.

He let the light die from his hand and moved off the bed silently, glancing back over to her as she murmured something unintelligible and rolled onto her back, baring her naked chest. He smirked at the sight of it, every part of him knew that if she had her memory and knew who she was, there was no way she would have conceded to what they had been doing the previous night. She detested him, he was sure of it, even while some of the others had lessened their hate towards him, she held onto her anger. It did not bother him either way, she was a woman, he was a sexually deviant God and he had enjoyed himself.

The images of their time together ran through Loki's head and his smile widened as his eyes glinted with mischief and he crawled back onto the bed, looming over the sleeping form of the assassin. He placed his hands either side of her head and bent down to whisper in her ear, lacing his words with heavy spell work. He chuckled quietly as she shifted under him, a low moan escaping her throat and a gentle flush spreading across her chest. She was still asleep for the most part but that would change soon, Loki could already smell her arousal and he closed his eyes to breathe it in.

Since he had been charged to stay on Earth, he had been quiet in regards to his time with woman, humans were much different than Asgardians, as well as being less desirable, they were far weaker. Loki was a God, he was stronger than them by far and he was certainly not known for being a gentle lover. With Natasha, he had been merciful for some unknown reason and his hunger had been less than satisfied, no matter how satisfying her body actually was.

If she ever regained the knowledge of herself and returned to who she was, she was going to _hate_ him with a passion.

He could sense her coming back to consciousness, her moans became more purposeful and Loki continued to whisper in her ear, speaking vulgar words that pulled her from sleep and filled her body with heat. As her eyes finally flicked open, he could see they were clouded with lust and raw desire, sending a powerful wave through him that urged him to all but eat her alive.

"Good morning…" He murmured as she glanced up at him with a slight confusion for a moment.

"Morning." She said quietly and he was amused by the smirk that played at the edges of her lips. Her hand reached up to his chest and trailed down, her fingers tracing lazy circles and Loki jerked as she took hold of his length, bringing a groan from his throat. His hands gave out as she began to move her hand and he had to land on his elbows, propping himself up just enough to give her room to continue her work.

The pleasure she sent through him was glorious and he closed his eyes, pulling all his weight on one elbow as his other hand slipped between her legs, his breath escaping in a hiss as he felt how wet she was. The moan from her was divine, he opened his eyes to see her head tilt back and he couldn't help but press his lips to her neck, feeling the racing pulse of her jugular beneath her skin. Her hand quickened its pace and pressure, causing him to buck his hips unconsciously into her grip, groaning loudly.

A knock on the door could have brought him a rage that bordered on apocalyptic, especially considering how she stopped her movements and released his hardened length. He wanted to snarl at the visitor, but before he had the opportunity, there came another knock that was more of an impatient banging.

"Loki! Open the fucking door! Now!" He could hear the archer on the other side and he frowned, meeting Natasha's eyes, noting the slight fear in them. He was wild with anger at the interruption, these people needed to remember that he was a God and should be treated as such. In a rough motion he pulled Natasha up to her knees and shimmied forward until her back was pressed tightly against the head board.

"Do not speak." He murmured quietly, spreading her legs a little and shuffling forward again. "Do not make a noise of any kind." No doubt she was completely confused and he nodded toward the other side of the room when he had created a clone to occupy one of the arm chairs. The clone was fully dressed and staring at the door, which opened with a wave of his hand. Clint burst inside with a livid expression, his chest heaving and his eyes wide.

"Where is she!" He yelled, taking a few more steps into the room. The real Loki looked back to the woman he had pinned to the head board, his knees moved between hers and he looked her dead in the eye as he used one hand to push his length into her at a torturously slow pace. Her lips parted and her eyes almost rolled, his hand clamped over her mouth as he heard the beginnings of a moan. He smirked as her eyes flicked toward the archer, who could not see the two of them, they were invisible to him.

"She is in the shower." The clone told Clint, flicking his hand toward the bathroom, the noise of the shower could be heard through the door. "I doubt she wishes to be interrupted."

Loki released his hand from Natasha's mouth and gripped the top of the carved wood behind her, using it as leverage to slam himself deep inside her. He felt her body seize with a wave of pleasure and he was so sure she was going to cry out but somehow she managed to stay silent. It was just as difficult for him, she was so tight and wet, she felt so beautiful around him that he wanted to show it verbally, having to bite his tongue as he gave a thrust that caused the wood to hit the wall and make a noise.

Clint glanced toward them, but he saw nothing but an empty bed and his attention was quickly moved back to the clone. "Damn it Loki if you have hurt her in anyway, I swear to God-"

"Speak with care." The clone stood and was far taller than Clint, his expression ice-like. "Threats toward me are unwise."

The real Loki was having trouble concentrating on his projection as he drilled into Natasha, pressing his lips to hers in an effort to stop them both from making noise. He felt her teeth clamp onto his tongue as he slid it into her mouth and he responded by giving a violent thrust that was sure to bruise. Her hands slid down to his lower back and gripped him tightly, pulling him impossibly closer. He couldn't help but let out a groan as she wrapped her legs around his waist and his hands moved to hold her thighs, tossing any sort of mercy out the window as he fucked her into the wooden head board, trying to erase the noises with magical methods.

Part of him wanted to reveal them to Barton, knowing how insane he would be driven at the sight of Loki fucking the woman he had feelings for. The whole world knew that the archer wanted the assassin, but no one seemed to know Natasha's view on the situation. Loki hoped she did in fact like him, it would just add more fuel to the fire. And a very small part of him was already seeing her as something to hide away, to keep from the others. She was a blank slate with pre-programmed instincts, he could mould her as he saw fit, she could be entirely his. Plans were forming in his mind even as he felt his orgasm building, this new plaything of his would ensure entertainment for a long time to come, he wasn't ready to let her go so easily.

"Loki, she is sick, she needs help!" Clint was growing even angrier, his fists balling at his sides as he glared at the clone, having no idea what Loki was doing to Natasha just meters away. "We need to run a scan and figure out how to get her memories back!"

Natasha was moaning beyond all points of Loki being able to shush her, he could only hope to create a sort of barrier alongside them, to trap the sound. The noises their bodies made as they slammed together was almost as loud as the vocals from them, which were increasing in crescendo. He could feel her nails digging into his back and scraping down, the roughness from her and her hips was almost making his eyes roll. He doubted he could hold on much longer but he wanted to finish her while the archer was present, knowing that even if he was unaware of them, it was a cruel thing to do.

He moved his lips to her ear and breathed a string of words that held no magic, just pure filth, each thrust straining deeper and brushing that sensitive spot that cause her to cry out. As she finally came, Loki had no choice but to join her, the way her muscles contracted around his cock was overwhelming as he barely had to continue his thrusting as she milked him, making him jerk without rhythm, spilling his divine seed deep inside her.

They were both left gasping for breath as Clint started to yell at the clone, who was simply smirking, knowing how badly it would antagonize the situation. Natasha collapsed against him and he held her up, turning to watch the altercation of the others. He really was surprised at how much she could handle from him, he had the ability to break her but she was holding her ground and he was loving it. She was a challenge and it had been a long time since he had been challenged by a lover.

The clone folded his arms as Loki teasingly pressed deeper into Natasha, enjoying the twisted situation immensely.

"Just let me get her you son of a bitch." Clint snarled toward the clone, "She needs help."

"She is far too weary for your barbaric tests." The clone said, smirking with as much glee as the real Loki was. "Her night was long and she did not receive much sleep." Clint didn't back away as the clone stepped forward until they were within touching distance. "You see, I _fucked_ her until the energy within her body was gone. And then, I _fucked_ her again." The clone closed his eyes and smiled, shuddering happily as though remembering something intensely delicious. "Ahh, yes and I intend to do it all over again, the moment she can stand properly."

Clint let out a bellow of rage and lunged toward the clone who simply stepped to the side and waved his hand. Clint was at the doorway with no understanding of how he had got there and before he could speak, the door had slammed shut in his face, his anger filled cry could clearly be heard from the other side.

Loki chuckled as he vanished the clone and moved back from Natasha, sliding out of her much to his reluctance. She all but fell forward and sprawled across the bed, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. He sat beside her and waited for her anger and hatred, the possible shame of what they had just done. He was stunned as he heard a quiet laugh and she lifted her head, pushing away a veil of fiery curls to look at him.

"You devious bastard." She muttered, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "He couldn't even see us, could he? That should be considered sick, you know that?"

Loki didn't speak, he was hardly expecting her to be okay with the whole situation and yet there she was, laughing about it.

Had it been the 'old' Natasha, he would have anticipated her trying to get her hands on a weapon and attacking him. She was apparently just as mischievous as he was. He really was enjoying the new Natasha, making him wonder how long he would have her for. That thought was interrupted by another knock on the door, this one was neither polite nor impatient and was followed by the Captain's voice.

"Loki? We need to see Natasha." There was a pause for a moment before he added hesitantly – "We need to see if she is okay."

Loki rolled his eyes and turned toward the devious little minx that had felt so glorious around his cock. He noted the fear in her eyes instantly and he was genuinely shocked, she really did seem to trust him over the others. It was insane, the old Natasha would almost be campaigning for Loki not to be trusted and she had forsaken her own team to believe him as her ally.

"Do not worry." He murmured to her as she sat up, "I will not let them hurt you." It was ironic really, of all the people in the world, the ones that were so anxious to see her would be the least likely to hurt her and Loki would be at the other end of the scale, yet there she was, drinking in his words and believing them without reservation.


	5. Alone Again

Natasha flinched as the door to Loki's room was kicked open, the heavy metal slamming against the wall with an echoing thud. She seized the blanket in front of her and hastily yanked it to her chest in an effort to cover herself as best she could. Even as she completed the motion she glanced down and blinked in confusion, it was just like trying to cover herself with the towel in the bathroom, she wasn't even sure why she did it, it was just instinct. She shuffled backwards as the two men entered the room and walked straight toward her.

Loki was standing beside the bed and when she cast him a look she was shocked to see he was fully dressed in the layered robes but it must have happened within a second.

"Natasha, what the fuck." Clint said as he reached the bed and she moved as far away as possible from him. He was plainly furious, his fists were clenched and he was tight lipped as he stared at her, reprimanding her through his eyes.

"Barton, ease up." The Captain warned, his face was softer than Clint's but he still wore a hardened expression and he was gazing at her as though he was disappointed. Natasha glanced between them, unsure who to focus on or who was her biggest threat. It was horrible, to understand that she was _supposed_ to know them, but couldn't even recognize them.

"Romanoff, you need to come with us." The Captain spoke so much calmer than Clint but she didn't trust him in the slightest and she didn't move a muscle at the request. "Agent Romanoff, you _will_ come with me voluntarily, or I will drag you out of here."

She narrowed her eyes as the man adorned a more forceful tone and she shuffled across the other side of the bed, slowly moving to her feet and standing so she was half hidden behind Loki. The meaning of her actions was clear, there was no way in hell she was going to go with these random strangers. She stared at them with hard eyes, trying not to let the fear show. She could not let them take her back to that machine, she simply could not allow it. She clutched the blanket even tighter to her chest, well aware that her back was entirely exposed though it hardly mattered since there was no one behind her.

"I don't know you." She said quietly, suspicion was heavy in her tone. Both the other men exchanged looks and inhaled deeply, clearly trying to decide the best way to proceed.

"You know me Tash." Clint said earnestly, spreading his hands in front of him. "You know me better than anyone and I know _you_ better than anyone. Come on, think Natasha. There's no way in hell you would have ever slept with this bastard of your own free will."

"And yet she did." Loki chimed in, apparently not content with keeping up with the silent routine. "And it was… _glorious._" The tease in his voice was evident, he was taking joy in bringing forth the rage in Clint, who looked as though he was about to snap and launch himself across the bed toward Loki.

"You _sick_ bastard." Clint spat, his body shaking with rage.

"Oh you have no idea." Loki chuckled. Clint snapped once again and tried to lunge at Loki but the Captain caught his arm and held him back. "Oh is the poodle on the leash?" Loki teased with derision, obviously enjoying himself more than anybody else in the room.

The Captain tightened his grip on Clint and focused his gaze on Loki, a warning look in his eyes. "Either you allow us to help our team mate or-"

"Or _what_." Loki sneered, it was abundantly clear that he did not fear these people and assumed there was no threat they could hold toward him. That fact alone made Natasha feel slightly safer, if Loki was unafraid of them and would keep her away from them, then maybe she would be okay. Maybe she would be safe.

"Or we cuff you."

It didn't sound like much of a threat but Natasha heard Loki's teeth snap together and the sound of his knuckles cracking was just as audible.

"You wouldn't _dare_." There was ice in his tone and Natasha could have sworn the air around her had suddenly dropped in temperature causing her to glance up at Loki in confusion. There was still no fear on his face, but he was beyond angry, he was absolutely livid. If looks could kill, the other two men would be on the floor in an unmoving state.

"Well, we could just cuff you and take her anyway." Clint seemed to have calmed dramatically, the reaction from Loki had been enough to abate his anger and he actually looked remarkably satisfied. "So, either let her come with us, or we cuff you with the magic bonds that big brother brought back from _daddy_. And then all that magic of yours goes…poof." Clint was being nothing but derisive, apparently it was his turn to tease Loki. Natasha begun to feel fear again, she could tell that Loki was mulling the decision over and when he looked at her with a hardened gaze it was clear which road he had taken.

"No, no!" She yelled at him, her panic rising. "No you can't! No, you said I would be safe with you!"

"Yes, well I lied." He said through gritted teeth, seemingly uncaring about her frantic state. "Believe me, I am known for that." He stepped to the side and the other two men rushed toward her, Clint seized her arm and stabbed her with a needle that he had been keeping out of sight.

"No, no no no!" She tried to wrench free, fighting with primal instinct against the two men, looking at Loki with desperation. "Help me!" She pleaded but he continued to stare at her without emotion.

"I will not be cuffed like an animal." He told her, as though expecting her to understand his reasoning and accept his decision. "So, this is the way it must go." He looked like he wanted to say more and she saw him chewing on his tongue but he kept silent after that. Her vision was blurring and her movements seemed sluggish, she could no longer struggle against the men and she suddenly found herself on her knees, trying in vain to fight against the crushing darkness that was creeping into the edge of her vision. Her breathing became ragged and she could not hold on to reality as her body tumbled forward, not able to feel the impact as she hit the ground.

It was the pain that woke her, blinding, searing pain that shot through her skull and caused her to scream in agony. Her throat burned with the sheer effort of screaming so loud and yet it could not be helped, the torment of her mind was beyond anything that could be understood, it should be killing her and she wished it would. Her body was seizing and jerking, straining against the bonds which held her securely but there was no way for her to break free and she was barely conscious anyway, hardly aware of the people around her.

The pain was all she could focus on and it was tearing at her soul, making her feel as though knives were slicing into every inch of her, twisting through her skin with no sign of stopping.

"Please…" She tried to cry out but she wasn't sure if she could be heard and the wordless screaming was resumed the moment she tried to speak. Her mind begged for it to stop but nothing was in her control, whatever was tormenting her was not going to cease by her will. There was no way to tell how much time had passed, it could have been hours, it could have been minutes, but when the pain finally ebbed she was left gasping for breath and shivering like an invalid.

She opened her eyes to see the halo she expected to see above her and faces all around her. It was terrifying and if she had the energy to scream she would have.

"Let me go… please…" Her voice was so weak and feeble, it was almost embarrassing. She could hardly keep her eyes open and she couldn't focus on any of the faces that were staring down at her, they were just blurred shapes with no identity. Her name was spoken but she couldn't tell by who and it didn't matter, she didn't care. "Let me… go." She coughed and groaned, tilting her head back after pathetically trying to move her hands within their bonds.

"Put her back under." She heard a voice command and she did not have the will to try and protest. She opened her mouth to argue but her energy was lacking and she could put up no resistance. Her screaming filled the room a moment later as the pain returned, either it was more intense than before or her mind was just causing her to think that for an added torture.

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**Sorry for the short one, next one will be long enough to cause complaint, I promise.**


	6. Curiostiy

Loki paced across the floor of his room, hands clasped tightly behind his back, his lips pressed in a hard line as he considered what he had done. He tried to reason it in a simple way, even though Natasha could not remember anybody, her team would never harm her. It did not matter that she didn't trust them at the moment, there were her friends and allies, Loki was aware that they would try their best to help her. But for all this logical thinking, he could not push away the image of the way she had looked when he handed her over to them. The betrayal had been clear across her face and for some inexplicable reason, it was bothering Loki.

He paused in his movements and faced the door, closing his eyes to listen to the noise he could have sworn he just heard. The base was as soundproof as was possible, but Loki was a God and he was indifferent to such things. After a moment of silence he heard the sound again, this time it seemed much louder due to his concentration. He recognized the scream as Natasha's and it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, his knuckles cracked with tension as the sounds continued. Whatever they were doing to her, she was under immense duress and it showed no signs of stopping.

So much for his theory that they would not harm her.

Loki could not understand why he even cared, of course he understood why she had attached herself to him, he had been someone that could help her while she stumbled along the street. Obviously she had no idea how she knew him, no memories of the enemy that he was supposed to be toward her. It shouldn't have mattered that he had betrayed her, why should he care about the look on her face as her team dragged her away. Loki scowled at the wall as the screaming grew, the absolute agony could be heard through the sound and it was starting to grind at his nerves.

He stepped over toward the mirror on his wall, staring at his own reflection for a moment before waving a hand and muttering a simple incantation. The image of himself swirled and fogged, rippling into a different scene in a similar way to water when disturbed by a rock. He could see Natasha strapped to a medical bed, her wrists and ankles bound tightly with thick straps. Her face was contorted in agony as she writhed and jerked, the pain was evident across her expression. She was still mostly covered by the sheet that she had grabbed from his bed by reflex, it seemed to be twisted around her and retained her modesty. Loki could see the halo ring above her head, he had been told it was part of a machine that worked within the parameters of the brain, on one occasion he had simply refused to volunteer to be scanned under it. Whatever was supposed to be happening with Natasha was not working, judging by the panic on the face of the doctor as he continued to adjust the settings on the side of the machine.

As Loki watched through magic methods, remaining within his quarters and unknown to the others, he felt his anger grow. He did not know why the scene was causing his rage to increase, but there was a feeling deep within him that urged him to do something. He felt ashamed that he had released his protective hold on her in the first place. Even though he held no obligation to ensure her safety, owing her no debt, she had still placed her trust in him and he had proved that to be a silly thing to do.

He let out a frustrated sigh as he stepped back from the mirror and the image inside was returned to its normal reflection, showing Loki with angry eyes and tight lips. The display almost surprised him, he had managed to gain a hold on his anger for so long, it seemed strange for it to bubble to the surface over a human who meant nothing to him. He narrowed his eyes at the glass and watched as the image changed once again, but it was still only reflecting the room. Loki's hair vanished and his skin darkened, his robes altering to dark leather clothing with a long black trench coat. He fidgeted with the new eye patch for a moment before turning and striding from the room, opening the door with a lazy flick of his hand.

The agents he passed were only too happy to give him a simple nod of respect before hurrying away, no one tried to engage him in any conversation which was just as well, for their sake. It was not far to the medical bay and of course the retinal scanners picked up no foolery from Loki's disguise, allowing him full access to the area he was seeking. Natasha's screams were a guide for him and he followed them quickly, walking with confidence and purpose, almost slamming open the door to the room she was being held in.

"Director!" Bruce exclaimed when he saw there was a visitor present. Loki said nothing, but not because his voice would have given him away, the voice would be harnessed along with the guise and would certainly not be an issue. He looked from Bruce to Clint, who had his hands on Natasha's shoulders and was holding her down as her body continued to writhe. His anger just about exploded as he saw that, it took all his will not to extend his hand and choke the very life from the archer that he detested in every possible way. Neither of the two men seemed to understand that the 'Director' was not who he appeared to be.

"No progress, as of yet." Bruce told Loki, as he made a note on the sheet of paper to the side of him, "Not in getting her memories back. But there is good news." Natasha had stopped screaming and was simply twitching, Loki could sense that she was deep within an unconscious state, she would have no idea of what was happening around her. His plan had been to waltz in and take her, killing anyone who tried to stop him, but he was admittedly curious about what Bruce had discovered. To his knowledge, there were only a select few spells that could erase a person's memory and even Loki had never attempted any, never having the intention to learn the specifics. He would have assumed that there was no other methods to remove a person's identity than sorcery, but he knew that Natasha's mind had not been tampered with magically. So he was interested to know a little more, as much as he felt the strange need to remove her from the entire situation.

"And this good news is…?" Loki placed his hands behind his back as he stared at Bruce, raising his one eyebrow as an indication to continue and to make it fast. Bruce pressed a few buttons on the machine and the halo above Natasha's head was lifted, her body stilling almost instantly. Loki could feel the tension rush out of her, able to sense the agony was easing but her mind remained within the darkness it had created to suffer through her torment.

Loki followed Bruce around to the other side of the machine as he was beckoned, trying to make sense of the screen that Bruce showed him. "See these alpha readings?" Bruce asked, pointing to the side of the screen. Loki nodded but had no clue what he was supposed to be seeing. Thankfully Bruce explained the images anyway. "These were the initial scans, the red glow here, this is what we expected, it's what comes up anytime Natasha had ever had a full brain scan." Loki nodded again, remaining silent. Even though he could not see Natasha, who was on the other side of the large machine and hidden from view, he could sense her vitals and he was listening to her racing heart beat. He was also aware of Clint's much steadier heartbeat and the way he was whispering encouraging things to Natasha.

"The red is basically a battle sign," Bruce continued, changing the images on the screen and showing a scan that held far less red than the first. "The red currents mean she has had training to resist these sort of scans. Similar to the way she has had training to fool a lie detector. But you cannot fool a brain scan so her brain emits confusing images that don't make sense to the computer systems. But these later scans, they are deeper into her mind and that's why there is less… interference." Bruce looked to the 'Director', to understand if he was making any sense. Loki nodded yet again, having to bite his tongue so he did not utter a spell that would sew the mouth of the archer shut. He could not stand the way he was beside her, murmuring reassuring things into her ear as if he had not assisted in giving her pain.

"These deeper scans, they have caused her pain?" Loki asked, wondering if he had managed to grasp the concept. Bruce seemed awkward about that particular question and rubbed the back of his neck with a frown.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." He admitted, clearing his throat. To his credit, he did look as if he was regretful about that fact. "To invade a brain on a deeper level, well, it isn't something that could go down easily. She feels those scans, this isn't like an MRI, she can actually feel us digging around in there and judging by the noise she is making, I would say that it is not pleasant in the slightest."

Loki wanted to grab the doctors head and smash it into the electronic screen of the infernal machine that was causing Natasha so much pain. But he also wanted to avoid bringing out the green monster that packed more of a punch than Loki was comfortable with. "You stated that there was good news." Loki said hurriedly, to cover the sound of his knuckles cracking. Bruce blinked and looked up at him, nodding with something close to a smile. Loki could not understand how a person could smile in such a situation, as to why there should be any cause for joy was beyond him. Even he was not a close person to Natasha and to his shock, seemed to be the only person who found it hard to see her in such strong pain. He knew she was a woman who could handle it, or at least she _was_ a woman who could handle it. Currently, she was fragile and in need to protecting.

"Good news, yes. Well, it is technically good news, depending on the way you look at it." Bruce turned and moved some images around, bringing up a captured shot that held far more blue coloring that the electric red. Loki had no idea what he was looking at and waited for the other man to explain. "This is the deepest one we took. This here, all this blue fog, this is the interesting part. It basically means that her memories have not been erased. They are still in there. Just locked."

"Locked?" Loki asked, needing clarification. He wasn't sure if it was a term that he had failed to understand or if the doctor was indeed suggesting that her memories were in some sort of cage that needed a key to open it.

"Yes, locked." Bruce nodded, almost seeming excited. "Locked within her mind. I'm not entirely sure how, it would take some heavy duty equipment to lock a person's identity in their own head. No machine that I'm aware of could do this. And we can't unlock them, haven't made an inch of progress. The deeper we go with these scans, the more the risk of doing permanent damage."

"Could this kill her?" Loki asked, fidgeting with the side of the eye patch as it slightly irritated his skin. "These brain scans, could they actually kill her?"

"It is possible." Bruce admitted reluctantly.

"Who would authorize such a barbaric method of torture." Loki spoke with a slight growl, moving around the side of the machine so he could see Natasha and check she was alright. She was deathly pale and her breathing was shallow, coming in elongated breaths that were more uneven than they should have been. But her heart had slowed to a more natural rhythm and that was a good sign.

"Uh, _you_ authorized these scans." Bruce said quietly. Loki turned back to him and saw the suspicion cloud the doctors eyes, the man was highly intelligent and the ruse was up. He wasn't the only one to figure out the true identity of the visitor, Clint was beside Bruce in an instant, obviously having listened to the conversation and understood that Loki was not who he seemed. Before anybody could utter a word or make a move toward him, Loki threw his arm toward the doctor and used a string of magic laced words to send him across the other side of the base with a rapid teleportation spell.

Almost instantly, he was able to hear the far off roars of the Hulk coming lose, the stress of the movement having forced out the more colourful side of Dr. Banner. Loki focused on Clint who was already running for his bow and quiver which had been placed down on the other side of the room. With a casual flick of his hand, Loki sent Clint skyward and slammed him into the roof before letting him crash back down the waiting floor. He was unconscious immediately.

Loki appeared beside Natasha and waved his hand over her body, the action not only released her limbs from their holding straps but pulled her mind from the layers of its subconscious and back into reality. Her eyes flicked open and her vision seemed clouded but Loki watched her gaze sharpen rapidly and land on him. Pure fear crossed her face and he felt it sting in his very heart, as though it had been a physical blow. It was a moment before he realized he was still in his disguise and he quickly altered his image as Director Fury, returning to his normal appearance.

He blinked rapidly as his depth perception increased with the renewed sight of both eyes and he was pleased as the fear across Natasha's face turned into obvious relief. She tried to speak but her voice came out strained and Loki couldn't understand her. She had screamed herself hoarse and it evidently hurt when she tried to talk.

"Come." He said simply, gently taking her arm and helping her to stand. It was obvious that she could not have completed the movement by herself and even when she was upright, he could feel her swaying. It was only his hand on her upper arm that prevented her from toppling over.

"My… h-head.." The words came out in a strained murmur and Loki would have bet they caused her pain as they left her lips. He looked into her eyes and noticed the blatant fog as she swayed as though on water. It reminded him of the inebriated warriors in the mead halls back on Asgard, when the men drunk to excess and could not focus on the world around them, barely able to understand which direction was up.

"Can you hear me?" Loki asked, tilting her head toward the bright lighting that hung from the ceiling, so he could look into her eyes. Her pupils contracted then expanded, not seeming to react normally to intense light. But she nodded in answer to his question and she did appear to be looking directly at him. He doubted that she was able to see him clearly but the way she had been relieved when he revealed himself, told him that she understood who he was and that he was there to help her, not cause her more pain. He watched her eyes cloud again and felt the tension leave her body as she swayed backwards. He quickly placed his arm at the small of her back to keep her standing and placed his hand at her jaw to lift her head as it lolled to the side.

"Stay awake Natasha." He told her, adding some magic into the words. He knew that her mind and body would be desperately seeking rest but she needed to stay awake. Her vision refocused with a little more strength than before, but she still seemed a little confused and disorientated. "Does your head still hurt?" He asked and she nodded, opening her mouth to speak but lacking any volume. He placed his palm to her temple and sent a gentle wave of energy into her mind, closing his eyes as he directed it in a soothing path to ease some of the pain. He was very aware of the twisted anarchy inside her head, he could feel the angry tension and wild confusion, he was surprised that she was able to walk and talk, instead of caving to fall on the ground in a drooling mess.

He tightened his hold on her just a little and with a single thought, he moved them through the base to the area he knew to be hers. He had never been inside her quarters and never felt the need to. As they arrived and she swayed even more dangerously, he knew that she was losing her grip on conscious thought again and this time he did not try to pull her back. He was aware that if he tried to keep her awake with magical means then there was potential for damage.

He let her slump against him and hooked his hand under her legs, keeping one hand splayed on her back so he could lift her and move her over to the waiting bed. The room was small, far smaller than his and he knew that she was hardly even in it, she was the busiest agent, sent on the most dangerous missions, she hardly had time for rest and relaxation. He lay her on the bed and pulled away the sheet that she had managed to bring from his own room, tossing it carelessly on the ground beside the bed. Her body truly was beautiful, he could appreciate that even while she was deeply unconscious. Her scars did nothing to taint that view, if anything, they enhanced the image of her in Loki's eyes, painting her as a warrior and a triumphant one at that.

There was new bruising around her thighs and more at her hips, the latter appeared to be finger shaped marks that matched Loki's, causing him to smirk. It seemed he had left quite an impression on her, mentally and physically. He was more than content to leave her laying on her bed in a naked state, the view was positive and it was hardly cold in the room, but he sighed and pulled a blanket from the foot of her bed to drape over her. Loki stood and moved around her room, opening drawers and looking in cupboards, merely for the reason of curiosity. He knew it was rude and he was hardly raised to act as such but now that he was in her room, he was interested in what it would hold.

There was nothing worth seeing really, no personal effects other than certain weapons that he understood were all but cherished by the old Natasha. The drawers only held knives, guns and clothes, all leaning toward military styled and away from civilian. He was just opening the wardrobe to have a look when the door to the room burst open and Clint lunged inside, his bow lifted with an arrow knocked, ready to shoot at a moment's notice. Loki reacted before the door had actually opened, able to hear the rapid footsteps that approached and guessed what would have followed. He had already cast an instant spell that would render both himself and Natasha to be unseen by a sudden intruder.

He half expected Natasha to awaken but she did not and he was glad, it would have been cruel of him to force her back into the darkness of her mind with a taunting spell. He turned to face Clint as the archer edged forward, his eyes scanning every inch of the room before quickly moving to the bathroom and kicking open that door as well. When he came back in with his bow lowered, he seemed frustrated, grabbing the radio from his belt and yanking it to his mouth.

"Not in her room, any luck checking Loki's?" He half growled over the small device.

"Negative Sir." Came the reply of a man whose voice was not one that Loki recognized, most likely just a generic agent under Clint's ruling. Clint sighed and turned to leave before freezing in his tracks. Loki narrowed his eyes, lifting his hand in case of a needed attack, even though there should have been no way for Clint to see him or the slumbering woman on the bed. Loki's heart began to race as Clint moved back to the bed but he did not make any indication to suggest he could see Natasha, instead he knelt down and grabbed the sheet that Loki had dropped to the side. Clint moved the radio to his lips once again, pressing the button at the side.

"They have been in her room, can't have been long ago, they can't be far. Lock down the base." He ran from the room as he spoke, clutching the sheet tightly. Loki waved his hand to shut the door when the other man had left, smirking at the stupidity of the situation. Locking down the base would do nothing to affect him, he could move wherever he wanted undetected, there was no wall or cage that could possibly stop him.

"Pathetic humans." He chuckled, moving into the centre of the room once more. He wasn't used to such a small space, even while the others believed him to be safely within his quarters at the base, he would be out roaming the city, milling among the people. He had always been a scholar and his interest lay in learning, his curiosity was peaked around humans. The woman on the bed was no exception, there was certainly something about her that made him want to know more, possibly almost as strongly as she did.


	7. Frozen

When Natasha woke she didn't even bother to try and open her eyes, the pounding of her head was telling her to remain in any sort of darkness that she could get her hands on. She knew that if she tried to gain a visual on her surroundings, she would find herself under the horrifically bright lights of the medical lab, strapped to a bed, waiting for the next round of pure agony to be pushed through her mind. She wondered if she had been given a small break, allowed a moment's of rest or if perhaps the machine had broken down, after causing so much pain. Either way she seized the moment, unsure when she would get another chance to gather her thoughts and try to ease the tension of her body.

She was sore all over, her throat was aching from strain and she knew that was because of how loud she had been screaming. Her wrists and ankles felt raw and sore, she was aware that came from the way she had been yanking her limbs around, desperately trying to break free of her bonds. As that thought arose, she suddenly realized that she was not tied in anyway, the position of her body seemed quite natural and the bed under her was certainly not the hardened uncomfortable one that she had been strapped to.

She chanced an opening of her eyelids, just a crack to see where she was and realized instantly that she was no longer in the lab. There was a light above her but it was not very bright and the entire of the room seemed to be shrouded in gentle darkness. She made an attempt to sit up but she was barely able to move before an intense dizziness clouded her mind and a wave of nausea rolled through her.

"I see you have finally awoken." She almost flinched at the voice that spoke and probably would have if her body even had enough energy. She rolled on to her side, not bothering to try and sit up again. She had to squint until her vision cleared and stopped swimming, revealing Loki as he sat in the centre of the room, perched on a golden chair of elegantly twisted metal, an object that certainly didn't fit with the rest of the room. She had a million questions for him but none came to mind as she watched him for a moment.

"What do you want from me?" She managed to croak out, hating how pathetic and broken her voice was. It strained her throat to speak and it came out shockingly hoarse, a sign of the amount of screaming she had been doing. The question seemed to surprise him, evidently if he had been expecting her to ask something, it wasn't _that_.

"What _do_ I want from you?" He asked of himself, leaning back in the chair a little and placing his hands on the arm rests at the sides. He studied her with his intensely green eyes as he seemed to mull over the question within his mind. "You are but a shell of your former self, there is nothing I want from you." Even as he said it, appearing resolute in the matter, Natasha could see there was more hidden beneath his words. She didn't comment on the lie that was obvious to her, unable to gather the energy to care. The last thing she remembered of him was the way he sold her out and made no effort to stop the men who took her to be tortured.

"Where am I?" She asked, slowly trying to sit up again. The motion brought great distress to her mind but she gritted her teeth and pushed through it, moving back so she could lean against the wall. She was breathing heavily within a few seconds and there were a serious of black dots that danced along her vision but she managed to do it without passing out. She clutched at the blanket that was over her, bringing it with her and bunching it across her chest, still not entirely sure of the point of trying to cover herself.

"This is your room." Loki drawled, waving a lazy hand as if introducing something grand that he didn't care for in the slightest. "Bleak, is it not?" Natasha looked around, the floor and ceiling were bobbing a little but she could see clearly for the most part.

"My room?" She murmured quietly, feeling saddened that she could not recognize anything. Nothing at all seemed familiar, not even the color of the walls. She felt a wave of frustration and would have loved to have lunged from the bed, but logic told her the move could not be completed in her current weakened state. It angered her that she could not remember a thing about herself and that the one person she had trusted to help her appeared indifferent in the matter. "Go away." She shot at Loki, her anger coursing into her expression. This seemed to interest him and he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees.

"There is the fiery spirit that we all know." He mused with a smirk. Natasha detested the arrogant way he looked at her and if she had the energy she would have tried to attack him. His initial assistance when he found her on the street, had been overshadowed by the way he let her get taken and it was something she would not forget, even if she had forgotten everything else.

Slowly, very slowly she eased herself from the bed, her limbs shaking and feeling as though they would give out on her at any possible moment. She stood and held the blanket to her but when she tried to take a step, her knee buckled and she dropped to the ground with a pain filled groan. She sensed Loki stand from his chair and she glared at him with malice before he even tried to take a step toward her.

"I said get out!" She tried to yell, almost spitting the words with rage but her voice could only go to a certain volume. However, she realized as soon as she said it that it had been the wrong thing to do. The rage that crossed his face was far more powerful than her own and he had moved across the room in an instant, his hand grasping her throat and yanking her into the air. The blanket was forgotten as she gasped and clutched at his hand, choking as she tried to breathe through his strong squeezing.

"Never, _never_ try to tell me what to do!" He hissed in her face. She gasped again as her back was slammed against the wall and the black spots returned to her vision. His eyes were like fire as they bored into hers, his anger was overwhelming and she felt as if the entire room was decreasing in temperature. Her strangled breath was coming out in a silvery mist, her body beginning to shake with cold. "I am _helping_ you, you fool! How dare you show such blatant rudeness to me! Have you not any idea of who I am!" And suddenly, she saw the anger fade from his expression and he released his hold on her, letting her fall to the ground and struggle to even her breathing. "Ah, but of course you do not know who I am. And that is partly my mistake. For you have gained a view of me being a helpful and considerate person. This is not the case."

Natasha stared up at him in pure shock, rubbing her throat which she _knew_ was going to bruise. This man, whoever he was, needed some serious psychiatric help.

"You gave me over, after pledging to protect me." She reasoned, trying to remain calm lest she raise his anger again. She pulled the blanket over her, but this time it was in defence of the cold that had suddenly seeped into the room. She remained on the floor, highly doubting that she would be able to stand without blacking out and she didn't like the idea of how much dignity she would lose if that happened. "I don't want your help and I don't need it. _Please_ get out." She stressed the word with a level of sarcasm that may have been unwise, but thankfully he didn't react as harshly as he did previously.

"Actually Natasha, you _do_ need me." He smirked down at her before lowering himself to balance on the balls of his feet. "You see, right now, there are men combing every inch of this base and beyond. They are searching for you and they have already checked in here, but they will return to look again. Without me, you will be visible and they will take you back to the medical room."

At his words, Natasha automatically shrank back against the wall, as if it would protect her. "Get away from me." She said resolutely as he moved a little closer. He paused and frowned, evidently every reaction she had to anything he said came as a surprise. "I don't know who you are." She whispered. "Get. Away. From. Me." She almost growled the words through gritted teeth. Suddenly he lunged forward and grabbed her wrist, yanking her to her feet. She was stunned as the blanket snaked around her as though alive, wrapping her up tightly but not in any constricting way.

"I will show you who I am." He hissed. Suddenly the world seemed to spin upside down and Natasha lost all sense of direction. She could not believe that she managed to remain conscious but she knew that it was only him holding her that prevented her from tumbling to the ground. She had to lean against him, hating the fact that she was relying on him for stability. When she was finally able to tell which way was up, she cried out in a startled panic. They were no longer in 'her' room, they were in a place that life seemed to have forsaken. She felt colder than she could ever remember, though that didn't add up to a long list of memories to call upon. The blanket offered no protection against the blistering wind that attacked her skin and she shrunk into Loki by pure reflex, looking around at the frozen wasteland.

She tried to speak but the howling wind was almost deafening and the harsh snow brought pain to her throat as she breathed it in. The world was impossibly cold, she could feel herself growing numb within moments and she knew she could not last very long, exposed to such a storm. She looked back to Loki, to plead with him to take her back but her voice died in her throat as she saw him. He had changed In appearance, his skin had altered to a deep blue coloring and was covered with delicate spirals that seemed to hold importance. His eyes were a blood red color and he was evidently far less uncomfortable with the cold than she was. Whatever he was, it was not human. She yanked herself away from him and stumbled backwards, terrified by his new image.

He took a step toward her but the look she threw him was so threatening that he stopped, his red eyes clouding with something she could not understand. She turned and ran, having no idea where she was or where she was going, but needing to get away from the man who couldn't seem to decide if he was friend or foe. She expected him to chase her and the thought of him grabbing her urged her to run ever faster, her bare feet painfully numb as she scrambled over the jagged rocks that were tipped with ice. She knew she could not run for long, her energy had been low to begin with but the impossible cold was quickly draining her and it was agonising. She reached a ledge and scrambled up it, rolling over the top and taking a moment to collect her breath.

The blanket stayed tightly wrapped around her but was useless in protection against the harsh winds, snow and hail pelted her skin and she could see it was pinkening. She looked back and was unable to see Loki through the blizzard, either he was back where he had been standing or he had left. She squared her shoulders and turned in the direction she had been travelling and froze in every sense of the word.

Before her was a giant, a being that was over twice her size in height, his skin was blue and covered in similar carvings and patterns to the ones she had seen on Loki. His eyes were just as red but were filled with a hardness that Loki had lacked. She took a hurried step backwards and watched with shock as the giant glared down at her. Suddenly he flung his hand in her direction and she was hurled through the air, slamming across a series of rocks as her body ragdolled back down the ridge she had just managed to climb over.

When she finally stopped she just lay there, numb with cold and yet still able to feel the agony of it seeping into her bones. She wondered if she deserved all this, if she had in fact been a bad person and Karma was putting her through hell so that she could be punished. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the horrific blizzard, flinching as a figure appeared above her. It was the giant creature and he lifted his foot with the clear intention to squash her as though she was no more than an ant.

"You reek of him!" It rumbled, its voice easily projected over the loud winds. "Of that treacherous fool!" It brought it's foot down and Natasha closed her eyes, waiting for impact. It wasn't a case of accepting her death, but she could not have hoped to move out of the way in time, her body was numb and she didn't have the will to summon enough energy.

She saw a blinding golden light through her closed eyelids and foolishly wondered if it was her passing on. But the blistering cold continued to eat away at her skin and she knew she was still alive. She opened her eyes just as Loki appeared above her, his skin having returned to its normal color, although she wasn't sure which tone was his true one. He slid his arms under her and quickly lifted her off the solid ground, holding her close to his chest. She could feel his body warmth and she moved toward it by reflex, part of her understanding that in this occasion, he was there to help her. She buried her head into his neck, selfishly trying to use him as a shield to hide away from the harsh winds.

Suddenly the cold was gone and the noise died to near silence, prompting Natasha to wearily lift her head and discover they had returned to her room. Loki made no move to put her down and she did not ask him to, he was the warmest thing in the room and her body was craving his heat. It took her a moment to realize he was speaking to her, there was a residual buzzing in her ears that made it hard to concentrate.

"Thor will be here in a moment." He told her, his voice was hardened and she wondered if she could detect a note of regret, but she doubted it. Her mind was probably just playing tricks on her after what she had just been put through. "He will have sensed the energy I used to transport us. He will not be happy-" As he spoke, the door slammed open and Natasha lifted her head a little more to see the golden haired man with the long red cape. Loki was right, he did not seem to be happy. He took one look at Natasha and his mind was practically audible as it whirred and placed the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Jotunheim!" He yelled, his voice was like the roar of a lion and made Natasha flinch into Loki's arms even more. "You took her to Jotunheim! What were you thinking! You arrogant fool! She is a human! She cannot survive such conditions!"

"Calm yourself you oaf." Loki drawled, seemingly unbothered by Thor's shouting. "She is fine. Look she lives. All is well-"

"She is frozen! I can see it from here!" He walked forward into the room and Natasha eyed him warily, not daring to speak. "And the Hulk was unleashed, thanks to your efforts to take her again. Are you proud of yourself brother?"

"In general, yes. Besides, we both know how much you enjoy those little fights with the doctor." Loki smirked and Natasha received the feeling that if she had not been in Loki's arms, Thor would have launched a savage punch. She watched rage cross Thor's face and buried her head back into Loki's neck. She was still angry at him, but he had saved her. Even if it was actually because of him that she had been in danger in the first place. When Thor spoke again it was with a much calmer tone and Natasha realized it was probably because of her action of shying away from him.

"We are not supposed to be interfering brother. That was the condition of us remaining on Midgard-"

"Unless danger arose." It was Loki's turn to cut Thor off. "Could you not hear her screams? Could you not hear the agony that her 'friends' were putting her through?" Natasha lifted her head and saw that Thor's blue eyes were locked onto her. He looked almost apologetic and definitely unsure of himself.

"Perhaps I could speak with the Captain. He is a good man and he seems to dislike this situation immensely."

"Very well. But in the mean time, she remains with me." Loki's arm held her a little tighter as he spoke, as if to reiterate his point. Thor narrowed his eyes and took a menacing step forward, causing Natasha to flinch ever so slightly. He noticed the movement and his anger abated once again.

"Do you truly not remember my brother?" He asked her and she shook her head. "You do not remember what he did? All the havoc he caused?" She stared at him for a moment longer before shaking her head again. She looked up at Loki, who was glaring at Thor with a warning look in his eyes. "So be it." He said to Loki and turned, his cape flaring out dramatically. He left the room and shut the door, silence returning.

"Are you still cold?" Loki asked her, surprising her a little.

"No." She answered truthfully.

"But your body is sore?" He asked and she nodded, she was under the duress of the aching that came after the numbing had thawed itself. He stepped over to the bed and gently eased her down, placing one hand on her forehead and the other on her stomach. She gasped as she felt a powerful energy rush through her and she was warmed back to normal temperature instantly, the pain disappearing from her head and her muscles.

"Wh-what-" She sat up as he removed his hands, the motion caused no dizziness or extra pain. She glanced up at him in confusion as he suddenly stood up and turned toward the door.

"That archer is coming." He told her, annoyance filling his tone. "And he is angrier than Thor."


	8. God of Lies

Natasha stood and moved to the wardrobe at the side of the room. If it was indeed her room, then she would undoubtedly find clothes that belonged to her. A tiny part of her hoped that seeing them would jog her memory, but she was given nothing as she pulled on the unfamiliar garments. At least she was clothed again, she did not like the way she had been dragged around in only a blanket.

The archer was indeed angrier than Thor, judging by the way he once again kicked his way into the room with so much force that the door rebounded off the wall and almost shut again. He stopped it with an outstretched hand and glared into the room, his eyes finding Natasha almost instantly.

Natasha did not move or speak, even though she was fully aware that she lay at the centre of this strange and confusing web, she felt as though she was not a part of it at all. She truly did not know these people, they were complete strangers and yet it was clear that they all knew her very well. Her mind was still trying to process her recent trip to a horrific place and a large part of her was hoping the stress of her situation had caused a terrible hallucination. That was easier to believe than a man taking her away through magic methods and saving her from an icy giant.

But despite all the odd things that had happened to her since she lost her memory, she realized that she must be able to handle such shocks with ease, considering the way she could remain calm for the most part. She knew she should be shivering in the corner, unable to speak or even focus her eyes on the world around her. The torture of her mind should have rendered her immobile but she was still strong. She wondered if it was a good thing, to be able to withstand such immense pain and shock, though she had to concede that her ability to come out the other side would suggest that she had been through much worse in her life. Perhaps it wouldn't be good to remember such things.

She did wish she could remember the archer and maybe then she could understand the sheer rage across his face and his reason for continuously kicking doors open in his effort to get to her. Were they family? Lovers? Close friends? Surely none of the above, he had been the one to hold her down as her mind was subjected to those infernal scans, causing her nothing but agony. If he cared about her, in any sort of way then he would have been the one to help free her. Like Loki did. But then, why were all the people so shocked that Loki was trying to help her? Was he really a bad person? He couldn't be, in her situation he was essentially the hero. A hero with strange abilities and violent mood swings, but a hero nonetheless.

"Loki, I am giving you one last chance." The archer hissed, the tips of his fingers twitching in anticipation, he appeared as though he was itching to engage in conflict. "We need to keep up with her scans. If you continue to keep her away from us, the truce will be forfeit."

Natasha had no clue what truce he was referring to, or maybe she did but had forgotten along with every other detail of her life. Either way, she understood that she must have been important in some way, if the archer would break a truce to get her back. She looked to Loki, terrified that he would betray her once again, though she showed no fear outwardly.

"A truce that I had no hand in." Loki drawled, flicking his hand lazily. "A truce that I could care less about." He really did seem indifferent to the matter. When Natasha looked back to Clint, she was surprised to see a smirk crossing the man's face. Evidently, it was going to be a win/win situation, either Loki handed her over and made Clint happy, or he said no, which seemed to have pleased him as well.

"I was kind of hoping you would say that." He smirked, confirming Natasha's assumption. Faster than she could believe, faster than was humanly possible, he had reached behind him and yanked out a compound bow, extending it to full size with a shake of his hand. At the same time as this action was being carried out, his other hand moved over his shoulder and took an arrow from the quiver seated on his back.

He had placed the arrow to the bow and fired at Loki before Natasha could even understand what was happening. To her shock, Loki laughed and waved his arm, clearly able to either anticipate the attack before it happened, or was fast enough to counter it. The arrow fell short of its target and stopped midair, as though it had hit an invisible barrier. Natasha wasn't sure if that was the case if Loki's hand movement had been to halt the arrow itself. It did not matter, because it became apparent that it had only been a decoy and Loki's cockiness was a weakness of sorts. Even as he glanced over at Natasha, a smirk on his face that indicated he was showing off, a second arrow was launched and pierced his left shoulder.

Natasha gasped but Loki barely reacted, amazingly, he simply rolled his eyes and readjusted his stance, having been knocked back ever so slightly. He looked back to the archer and smiled mockingly as he gripped the shaft of the arrow and eased it out slowly, not a hint of pain showing on his face.

"I am an Asgardian warrior you snivelling mortal." He spat, tossing the arrow to the side. It skittered across the floor and landed at Natasha's feet. "I have been speared in wars and came out victorious. You attack me with a twig. It is embarrassing for the both of us."

Natasha picked up the arrow and noticed it was missing the tip, it was merely the shaft. A foreboding feeling washed over her as she glanced at the archer who seemed downright proud of himself, lifting the bow a little higher, drawing their attention to where his fingers were placed.

"Click." He said, winking at Loki. Natasha heard a strange popping sound as Clint's finger pressed a button that was unable to be seen and suddenly Loki jerked and stumbled backwards, clutching a hand to his shoulder, over the wound. He looked down with wide eyes and slowly removed his hand, revealing a mess of twisted flesh that was alight with blue flames. Loki groaned and backed against the wall, dinting the metal on impact. Natasha stared in shock as the flames appeared to pour from his wound, the smell of chemical filling the air.

"Kerosene cartridge." Clint chuckled, obviously enjoying the way the flames were eating at Loki's flesh and clothing, causing him great pain. "Thor mentioned Frost Giants were vulnerable to fire. Makes sense I suppose. So I stocked up for the day I'd finally be able to slug you one, kerosene cartridge which ignites when activated. So right now, your 'Godly' heart, is pumping liquid accelerant through your 'divine' bloodstream. You'll burn on the outside and be poisoned on the inside. Have fun with that."

Natasha ran forward and stopped just in front of Loki, unsure of what to do. She could see the pain across his face as the flames caught the front of his robes, their color changing to orange, no longer fuelled by the chemical which was flooding his system. He was growing pale and his breathing was ragged, as he glared daggers at Clint. Natasha reached forward, instinctively trying to pat out the flames no matter how hot they burned against her hands. Before she could even attempt to help Loki, a hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked her away from him.

"Come on Tash." Clint growled. "I'm going to fix you."

Natasha snapped, feeling a wave of calming clarity wash over as she turned toward the man who had brought her nothing but pain for as long as she could remember.

"I'm not broken." She hissed, launching a punch directly to his diaphragm. She knew it only hit because he had not been expecting it, he stumbled backwards but quickly recovered, dropping his bow and lunging toward her. He tackled her to the ground and tried to pin her arms, but she kneed him in the groin and then head butted him, giving herself a moment of dizziness. She was pleased that it had more effect on him and she jabbed him in the side of his ribs. He growled and rolled off her, contorting his body into a position that put her in a headlock.

She smoothly angled her body and flicked her legs, using the momentum of the action to free herself from his grip and launch to her feet at the same time. She didn't know where these reflex actions were originating from, but they were coming freely and she was appreciative. She took a hurried step back as he also rolled to his feet, wiping away the blood from the edge of his mouth with the back of his hand.

She smirked as she noticed the smear of crimson liquid, so far, it was clear that she was winning the fight. She chanced a look over at Loki, whose eyes were shut tight and his pale face was strained, his lips moving as he muttered in a language Natasha could not understand. One hand was covering the wound from the arrow and a blue light seemed to be emitting from his palm.

Sudden movement brought her attention back to the fight and she lifted her hands to catch a kick from her opponent. Her fingers locked around his ankle and she held it tightly as he tried to yank it free, his fists balled in apparent frustration. She saw his muscles tense and was aware as he bent his other knee slightly, getting ready to jump and kick with the other foot. Natasha didn't know how she could read so well into the fight, or how she could anticipate the moves of this man, but it was coming so easily to her. Before he could move, she delivered a round house kick to his jaw and followed through with the movement, rolling horizontal in the air so she could kick him with her other foot as well.

He was sent sprawling across the ground as she landed in a position that felt well practised and familiar, her feet shoulder length apart, knees bent a little, fists ready to block any counter attacks. He quickly manoeuvred into a similar position and Natasha prepared herself for anything that could be flung at her. Before either of them could make a move, Loki stepped forward, still pale but at least seeming steady on his feet. He thrust his arm forward, with his palm flattened and facing Clint. The man was surrounded by a sudden blue light and then just disappeared, leaving no trace of his presence other than his bow which still lay to the side of the room.

Natasha allowed herself a moment to breathe, slowly moving out of her defensive position into a more natural one, feeling the residual effects of the adrenaline that her mind had been supplying to her body. She stared at the vacant spot that had recently housed the archer, not altogether caring where he had just been magically teleported to.

"Thank you." She said quietly to Loki. She felt as though she could have won the fight completely, but the man had been fast and well trained, she would have been dealt some serious injuries during the conflict. Injuries that he seemed all too happy to give her. "Is he … Is he my friend?" She asked hesitantly, looking over to Loki. He took a few seconds to answer, appearing to be considering his words carefully, so she was surprised when he only offered her a single word.

"No." There was something on his face that didn't look right and she briefly wondered if he was outright lying to her. She opened her mouth to ask more, when he silenced her by deciding to continue. "Tell me Natasha, would a friend engage in such violent action with you? Would a friend assist in torturing you?"

Natasha closed her mouth as soon as she realized he was right. A friend would not do those things, whoever Clint was, however she knew him, it must not have been in a good way. "Are you alright?" She asked suddenly, unwilling to dive into the depths of her mind, knowing she would find no information to assist in her mental turmoil.

He nodded, she could see the color had already returned to his cheeks, though he was still pale in general. She chewed on her lip for a moment, his brother, Thor, was so different in outward appearance, his hair was golden, his skin was more tanned. His muscles were…. very noticeable. Loki had a more toned figure, it held elegance and grace, he walked with purpose and had excellent posture. They were just, complete opposites. Perhaps Thor was the bad brother, after all, it had been Loki who helped her and not the golden haired man.

"Do you have the same parents as your brother?" She asked, curious. "I mean, do you have different mothers, or different fathers? You know, are you half siblings?" Her question seemed to amuse him, judging by the sudden smirk that crossed his lips.

"I must confess, I do keep forgetting that all your prior knowledge is lost to you." She didn't like the comment, but chose not to say anything and was glad when he offered such knowledge to her. "Thor and I are not related by blood at all. We did grow up as brothers and for over a thousand years, we believed that blood was a bond that wound around us. But we were wrong."

Natasha was already distracted from the delicate family topic, it was the number that had suddenly caught her attention. "I'm sorry, did you say a thousand years?"

He actually chuckled at the confusion on her face, another thing she did not appreciate but again chose to remain silent. "Yes, I did. It is so strange that you do not remember all of this. Surely meeting me is not an occurrence that could easily be forgotten."

She almost rolled her eyes at the cockiness of his voice. "Just cut to the chase and explain to me how you could possibly be a thousand years old."

"_Over_ a thousand." He corrected her, as though it was of importance. "Very well. I shall briefly explain who I am. "My name is Loki, I am known throughout the Universe as the God of Mischief. I wield the ancient sorcery of Asgard that has been passed through a line that I once believed to be my own. Once known as Odinson, I am actually Laufeyson, though now my true father is dead. My home planet was the one of ancient cold that I took you to. My true form-" He closed his eyes for a moment and his skin turned blue, the swirling carvings spiralled across the visible parts of his body and when he opened his eyes, they were a deep blood red. "-Is this one. Magic keeps me appearing as an Asgardian. I am a Norse God to your people."

Natasha stared as he talked, unmoving, unblinking, but not unbelieving. It all seemed outrageous, every single part of it and yet she was ultimately surprised at how willingly she accepted every word to be truth. "Okay." She said, feeling as though she should have shrugged in aid with the word. He narrowed his red eyes at her.

"Okay? Just okay?" He sounded suspicious.

"I believe you." She said quietly. "I have no reason to doubt you, I have already seen you do impossible things, things that really could only happen with magical influence. And I don't believe you would lie to me, you have nothing to gain by deceiving me." She glanced around the room and walked over to the bow, picking it up gently. It seemed so fragile but felt so strong in her hands. "Where did you send him?" She asked, without looking back up to Loki.

"There is a weather research base, at the bottom of this world. You humans call the frozen land 'Antarctica'. It will take him a very long time to get back here." She could hear the smirk in his voice but when she looked up and met his eyes, a look filled his own that she found hard to decipher. If she didn't know any better, she would have called it guilt. But what could he possibly feel guilty about? He was her hero.

* * *

**Maybe getting too sappy? I'm trying **_**not**_** to turn it into a sappy romance, that is pretty much the last thing I want to do with these two, so if it seems like it sometimes then rest assured that some angst will have to follow.**


	9. Taken

Loki was furious at Clint and felt it would have been completely justified to simply remove his head from his neck, but sending him across the world was an amusing punishment for the attack. He rubbed his chest absently as he watched Natasha study the bow, seeming quite interested in it. For a moment he thought she was beginning to remember things, her eyes were locked on and curious but there was no recognition in them. For some reason, this made Loki almost relieved. If he could solidly turn her against the archer and make her fully believe that he was nothing in a way of a friend, then it would be a harsh blow.

He glanced down at the shredded front of his robes, a large portion of the chest material had been burnt completely and smelled terrible. Loki wrinkled his nose as he ran his fingers along the damaged parts and watched with mild indifference as the material appeared to heal itself, knitting back together with ease. When he glanced up he noted Natasha was now fascinated with him, the bow still in her hand but apparently forgotten.

"Hand me that." He instructed, flicking his hand toward the archer's favoured object. She complied with a curious expression but asked no questions and waited patiently as he took it from her grasp and ran his hands along it. He had seen the archer wield the weapon, both while under his control and free of it, he used it as an extension of his arm and treated it with care. It was so different from the bows of Asgard, holding many different parts to easily compact or expand, hiding many tricks that Loki knew he may never fully discover. He smirked as he held it up and pulled the string back, as though an arrow was in place. He was a competent archer, he had of course been trained in the art by the Light Elves, the most fearsome archers in the Universe. Every day of his young life had been focused on training with bows, swords and shields, though when it became apparent he held higher skills with magic, he had left the more brutish attacks to Thor and begun to train with the ancient sorcerers.

"You look like you know what you are doing." Natasha told him, almost sounding appreciative and Loki's smirk grew. He had never exactly been known for modesty, though he was not as blatantly obvious in his pride as Thor was.

"It has been a long time since I picked up a bow." He admitted. He released the string slowly and used his finger to draw a straight line in the air. A silver arrow appeared at his command and he plucked it from the air, pulling the string back once again and turning toward Natasha so it appeared he was aiming for her. She raised her eyebrows and took a hesitant step backwards, obviously not sure if he was seriously threatening her or not. Before she could speak or move away, Loki released the arrow and watched it speed directly toward the centre or her forehead.

She flinched but there was never any danger, the arrow was merely an illusion of sorts, holding no physical properties and seemingly went through her head, leaving a ghostly shimmer in the air as it flew.

"That is the last time this bow will be used." Loki said casually, waving a hand over the object and muttering a painfully simple incantation. He handed it back to Natasha, who was evidently confused by the whole situation. "Pull the string." He told her and smiled widely when she tried to carry out the command. She was not successful, earning her frustration as she became determined to complete an act that he had done so simply. "It is… locked." He explained, taking a moment to search for the best word to use for description. "Magically locked, so that the string cannot be moved. By anyone."

He continued to smile as she looked up and blew away a fiery curl that had fallen in front of her eyes. She tossed the bow aside, looking annoyed at her failure even though there had been no possible chance of victory.

"Are you hungry?" He asked with a lazy drawl and then didn't wait for her answer before walking over to the small table that sat beside her bed. He closed his eyes and held out his hands, conjuring an ornately decorated silver platter that was piled high with a range of fruit, some that was found on Earth and some that only grew on Asgard. He picked up a small purple berry and was well aware of the mischievous smile that crossed his lips. He turned and offered the unique fruit to Natasha, who looked apprehensive, no doubt worried by the playful glint in his eyes. "Try it. You will not have tasted this before, I can guarantee it."

He watched as she hesitantly took the small berry and placed it in her mouth, but made no move to chew it, she was wildly suspicious. With a single thought, Loki split the berry, releasing the juice as it sat on her tongue and laughed at the look that crossed her face. He knew the sweetness of the fruit would be too much for her to handle, she would never have had anything even close to such a flavour and as she placed her hand to her mouth and coughed, he conjured a goblet of Asgardian wine.

"Here, this will help." He lied, handing it over for her to wash away the overwhelming taste of the fruit he had deviously given her. She took the wine and tipped the edge to her lips, pouring in a large amount which she swallowed and then paled as the taste hit her tongue. He laughed again, this new target to mess with was proving to be very amusing indeed.

"Do not feel bad." Loki grinned as she was sent into a coughing fit. "Those berries are the sweetest in perhaps the Universe, far too strong for a human taste pallet and Asgardian liquor is beyond anything you could handle. Take this-" He materialized a glass of pure water, ensuring the cup was clear so that she could see no trickery lay in his offering. "It will ease the burning of your mouth."

She glared at him before swallowing her pride and accepting the water, tentatively taking a sip to make sure it was drinkable and then rapidly downing the whole glass. Loki watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, shuddering as she tried to overcome the taste which was probably horrific to her.

"That was not appealing." She managed to say after a moment. "And it was cruel." She added, looking up to him, not pleased at all.

"God of Trickery." He told her, taking a bow as if it had been a grand performance. He straightened up and took a purple berry for himself, he did enjoy the taste even if it was strong to him as well. He chewed and swallowed, rubbing his chin with his thumb. "You never did like my tricks I suppose. Though I never really had you at the centre. Sometimes it is amusing to gain anger from a target, but you tended to overreact a good portion of the time." He took another berry and popped it into his mouth, smiling at the thought of the times he attempted to use his mischievous talents on Natasha.

"Tell me." She said suddenly and he looked to her with a raised eyebrow, asking her for clarification with his expression. "I don't remember anything, tell me about something." She looked so earnest, desperate for something of her past to cling to.

"There was a time when I locked you in the training room." Loki told her, the edges of his lips twitching as he recalled the memory. "And flooded it. The water level rose until it had almost filled the area entirely. It was very entertaining." When he looked at her to see if the tale struck a bell of recognition, he saw only a blank face with accusation in her eyes.

"You tried to drown me?" She asked, balling her fists defensively.

"You humans." Loki sighed, rolling his eyes. "You are all so over insensitive. It was merely a bit of fun. If I recall correctly, you campaigned to have me executed or sent back to Asgard. It hurt my feelings." He placed his palm over his chest mockingly.

"It seems you would have deserved either." She said hotly, staring at him harshly. "What would you have done if the 'trick' had gone wrong and I had actually drowned?"

"I would have saved you of course." Loki answered and then almost flinched at the surprise on her face. He had not meant it to sound so heroic, he was not meaning he would have rushed in there and pulled her to safety, desperately trying to keep her alive. Most likely, he would have drained the water and simply informed a passing agent that she needed assistance. He wasn't exactly someone who liked to get his hands dirty, he was quite happy keeping his distance from most things. He was suddenly uncomfortable with the look she was bestowing on him. He walked forward and placed him palm to her forehead, staring deeply into her eyes. "You should _sleep_." He laced the last word with magic and watched her eyelids flutter in response, sensing all the tension disappear from her body. Since she was already sitting she did not fall far as sleep took a solid hold.

Loki did not take his hand away from her, as her mind cleared he was able to feel everything and became instantly aware of the barrier that had locked her memories out of her reach. He pushed with his magic and found it was quite strong, but certainly breakable. He held himself up with his other hand, so he was looming over her, knowing that if anyone came into the room they would get one hell of a wrong impression. His eyes closed as he probed further into her mind and magically testing the barrier for cracks or weaknesses. There were no weak points but he was certain that he could shatter it with minimal effort. He opened his eyes and narrowed them in concentration, his lips moving soundlessly as he silently cast a spell to push her into a deeper sleep, gaining him easier access to her mind and it's limitless depths.

He was just about to plunge through the barrier and release her memories, but he suddenly stopped. If he carried out the action and reverted her back to how she was before, then his fun would be over. She would be gone and no longer be causing so much trouble, no longer entertaining him or giving him something to do whilst serving his sentence. He pulled his hand away from her forehead and stood, smoothing the front of his robes.

"I am not finished with you yet Natasha." He murmured quietly, even though he could have shouted in her ear and she would have still remained in a slumber. "There is still much fun to be had." He smiled and turned, moving himself through the base with a single thought. He heard a crash as he materialized in his new surroundings and looking to the side where Thor was staring longingly at the spilled glass of mead. Loki sighed and waved his hand, fixing the large glass and refilling it with the potent alcohol that Thor had loved since he was a young teenager. He did not apologize for causing Thor to drop the glass with his surprise and Thor did not thank Loki for fixing the situation.

"What have you come here for?" Thor asked, taking a sip before setting the glass carefully on the table beside him. "I have not had a chance to speak to the Captain yet." Loki hid a smile, clearly Thor did not yet know about the trip he had sent Clint on, or he would have opened with a berating on that subject first.

"I have come to ask a question-" He started to say but Thor cut him off. He grinded his teeth as his 'brother' spoke, he did not like being interrupted.

"Where is Natasha, what have you done with her-"

"She is sleeping." Loki informed him, pointedly refusing to allow him to finish his own sentence. "Tell me, is travelling to and from Jotunheim still impossible to all but me?" Thor seemed surprised and even a little suspicious about the question, but thankfully answered without much reservation.

"You are not the only one, but if you are referring to such methods as the BiFrost, those ways are not possible. Only by sorcery can one travel to that location."

Loki nodded, he had expected no different. He turned to leaved but Thor moved to him and grabbed his shoulder with a grip that Loki found highly uncomfortable. "Stop." Thor commanded. "Tell me why you asked such a thing."

"I was merely wondering-"

"Do not lie to me!" Thor growled, forcing Loki to turn back to him. Loki pointedly smacked his hand away but remained where he was standing and made no move to leave again. "Loki, you have the same look that you always wore when you took one of your tricks too far and came to seek my help."

"I do not need your help!" Loki spat, outraged at the insinuation. Thor was not convinced and placed both his hands on Loki's shoulders, leaning in closer.

"Tell me what you have done." He insisted, ignoring the searing gaze that Loki gave him in. "Loki. While on this planet you are under my ruling and you _will_ answer me, or I will return you to Father and he will take over your punishment." Loki _hated_ the tone of Thor's voice, hated when he acted so superior and he _loathed_ it when threats were made that actually worked. Thor seemed to be the only one in the Universe that could ever tell Loki what to do.

"I… killed Gurdanii." He waited patiently, allowing his words to sink in and resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he saw the rage on Thor's face rise to unrelenting levels.

"What?" He whispered, his voice strikingly quiet in comparison to how loud he usually spoke. "Tell me this is a trick you are conducting in poor taste. Tell me you did _not_ kill a Prince of Jotunheim and break a truce that was impossibly achieved after it was broken the first time."

"By you." Loki pointed out, pushing away Thor's arms and taking a step back. "You were the one to break the truce the first time." He was furious that Thor could be so angry about such a thing, it was so hypocritical of him.

"Just tell me why." Thor demanded, stepping forward so there was little space between them. "You have done many stupid things Loki, most of them recently. Why would you do this, create even more chaos in an unbalanced Universe? Have you learnt nothing about compassion and peace? What reason could you possibly have for killing a Frost Giant, a royal of the land and one of your own blood, whether you refuse to acknowledge that fact or not?"

Loki glared hard at Thor and did not back down from the angry stare or the harsh words that stung more than he would ever let on. It was just like their teenage years, when Loki created a mess and had to ask for Thor's help to clean it up. It was humiliating to think even after so many years he could still not hold his own, that he was still unworthy.

"Because he was going to kill Natasha." He spat the words with malice and watched the surprise replace anger in Thor's eyes. The thunderous God stepped back, clearly shocked by the reason Loki gave him. "Would you have preferred me to allow her to be crushed in an effort to retain a truce that neither of us really care about?" It seemed he was breaking truces all around the Universe and yet he wasn't overly bothered by that. Thor appeared speechless, stroking his chin as he considered how to reply.

"She would not have been in such danger if you had not taken her there." He finally said. It was logical of course and entirely correct, but Loki was still angry that it was all just accusation.

"What is done, is done." He said calmly, moving away from Thor once again. "But there is no pressing issue if travel between that planet is not possible." Before Thor had a chance to reply, he moved himself back to Natasha's room and turned to make sure she was asleep, though he did not expect anything different. His eyes widened as he saw she had disappeared from the bed. "Impossible." He whispered, there was no way she could have awoken in such a short time, it would have taken her so much longer to claw her subconscious to the surface. He closed his eyes and growled in frustration, not able to sense a trace of any others. As far as he could tell, no one had entered the room. But he received no trace from her either, she had not left the room of her own accord. She had been taken.

* * *

**Did this while half asleep and I apologize for the amount of spelling and grammar errors, also the lack of decent writing.**


	10. Possession

Loki was conflicted as he tried to comprehend the situation he had just found himself in. On one hand, he shouldn't even be feeling bothered, technically she had caused only trouble for him since the moment he had found her wandering around on the street, part of him wished he had just left her there and continued on his way. He could have lived with that, he would not have lost any sleep over the guilt of refusing to help her. He could have remained silent as her team drove themselves into the ground while trying to find her.

And yet, not only had he gone out of his way to bring her to safety, but he had been unable to handle the sounds of her screaming from the pain those scans had been giving her. He did not like the way she was messing with his head without even meaning to do so.

As he stared at the empty space on the bed, he could not help but feel enraged. Whoever had come to get her must have waited until Loki had finally left her alone. This meant he was being watched, or that the person had some method available to have known the perfect time to launch into action. Either way, he felt it was a direct insult to him and to his abilities, that he was unable to find any trace of whoever had taken her.

There were a few options available to him, he could swallow his pride and ask either Thor or another member of her team for assistance in locating her. That seemed suicidal to Loki, he would have to admit he had failed to watch over her and no doubt there would be campaigns to send him back to Asgard. Loki shuddered as the sound of a whip resounded through his head. He could not allow that to happen. There may have been some magic that could help him, but he was not supposed to be able to use powerful spells and if he attempted one, Odin would surely sense that Loki had retained far more of his magic than he had let on.

He actually smiled as he thought about that, it seemed people would always be falling for his tricks, no matter their status in the world.

Going to Thor was not an appealing possibility, especially after he had just made it seem as though he was running to him for help. It would make him appear far too weak and his dignity would not allow it. Perhaps, he didn't have to do anything, was it really such a big deal if she went missing and stayed missing? Maybe it was a good thing, the hassle of her invading his thoughts was obviously over, she had been taken and was no longer his problem.

Loki nodded to himself as he walked over to the mirror at the side of the room, staring hard at his own reflection.

"I do not care that she is gone." He spoke to the image of himself. What a talented liar he was. He spun around with such speed that his cloak swirled dramatically. He could not simply allow Natasha to be taken by an unknown figure, she was _his_, anybody who argued differently would be proven wrong. He had already begun to consider her as his possession and she had been stolen from him, whoever was responsible was going to find out the penalty for thieving from a God.

Loki glanced over at the corner of the room, his eyes easily finding the tiny lens of the camera that was all but hidden to those who did not know it was there, or who did not have senses that could pick up on its location. He quickly walked over waved his hand, erasing a cleanly scooped area of the wall so that the camera itself was visible and not just the very front. He had one ally that may be able to assist him, a man that he never wanted to have to go to for help, but one that would possibly accept without consequence. Even if there was going to be an exchange pure arrogance between the two of them, as there always was.

With a sigh, Loki reached forward and grabbed the camera, yanking it free from its holder. There was a few sparks and he glanced in confusion at the hanging wires at the end of the device, touching them with curious fingers. The concept of video imaging had been explained to Loki, but it was still strange to him, when he was much younger and when he had visited the Earth often, humans were too busy engaging in sword battles to bother with working towards technology. In some ways, he wished the people were still like they used to be, focusing on the baser things in life, drinking, eating, fighting and fornicating, all things Loki valued highly. Though Thor certainly outranked him in lust for food.

He clutched the device and whisked himself from the base, making his trip in a mere second when it would have taken hours if he had travelled by one of those horrible beeping machines. Piles of twisted metal that were controlled by a strange ring behind a wall of thick glass, far more complicated than horse riding and yet they were measured in 'horse power'.

Humans were strange creatures, that was undeniable.

When he arrived he did not immediately see his target, but knew the man would not be far. If he was not gallivanting through the skies in his metal contraption, then he would undoubtedly be working in his lab. Loki had appeared near the bar, the place he usually found Tony when he was bored with his confines and needed a break from Thor. Of all the people he had met, the billionaire was certainly one of the most tolerable. Loki had come to learn that royalty was not respected upon Earth, it was forced among people and they did not care. People worshipped celebrities and it had become clear very quickly that the rich were treated as royalty. Tony Stark was both rich and a celebrity, though Loki still felt the man was far beneath him, he did not feel as though he was a waste of space, as he viewed most people to be.

With a thought, he moved himself down to the lab and noticed the man he come to speak to, only his legs were visible as they extended from under an oversized machine that Loki knew not the function of. He waited for a few moments before his patience ran out and he cleared his throat loudly, hearing a swear and bang from the half visible man on the ground.

"That can only be one person." Tony moved himself into view as he spoke, sliding on a thin panel which had small wheels at each end, ensure the motion was smooth. "Because everyone else has to take the elevator. But Mr. Magic Man here, gets to teleport his way everywhere." He stood and grabbed a cloth from the workbench beside him, wiping the oil from his hands. Loki would never understand why the man did not just pay people to do such menial work for him, he seemed to enjoy getting his hands dirty. "What can I do for you? I'm still out of Absinthe, I keep meaning to get some more but things have been busy."

Loki watched as he crossed the lab and took a bottle of liquor from one of the shelves, grabbing two glasses and pouring a generous amount into each. He walked back and handed one to Loki, who made no move to grab it.

"Oh, you're not still pissed because of what I said last time are you?" Tony rolled his eyes and took a sip of his own drink, placing Loki's down on the bench. "I'm sorry I said you have a stick so far up your ass that I can pretty much see it coming out of your mouth." His tone was heavy with sarcasm, making it clear that he was not genuine in his apology. "To be fair, you used some colourful language as well, I'm certain most of those insults didn't even originate on Earth…" He trailed off, his face adorning a thoughtful expression, evidently trying to remember something specific. "What did you call me last time you stopped by? 'Lasikala-' 'Laskeena-' Ah, damn, what was it?"

"Alasakeena." Loki corrected him, speaking for the first time. "It suggests that you favour relations with a donkey more than you do with woman or men. And it is Elvish in origin, a people known to value fertility and fornication so it is classed as a harsh insult."

Tony blinked and downed the rest of his drink. "Well now that I know what it actually means, it hurts a lot more." He placed a hand over his heart in mocking pain. "And I thought we were friends."

Friends was certainly pushing it, Loki could stand the man's company and randomly appeared in his tower at least once a week, but the idea of being friends with a human was degrading. He did appreciate the other man's discretion regarding Loki's visits, it would be easy for Tony to inform somebody but he had never turned him in. At least Tony had finally been able to find an alcohol that had anything close to the potency of Asgardian mead, Loki even enjoyed the strange green Absinthe drink, though he did miss the mead he had grown up with.

"I need your help." Loki said with a deadly serious expression that warned Tony not to make a single joke, least his tongue be removed from his mouth as Loki had threatened to do so many times. "Natasha has… gone missing."

"She _still_ hasn't been found yet?" Tony seemed genuinely shocked and Loki was suddenly confused until he realized that Tony had obviously not been told about what had happened when Loki found Natasha and brought her back. Before Loki could even begin to explain the new situation, Tony raised an interesting point. "Hey, since when are you on first name basis with her? I have only ever heard you call her 'Agent Romanoff'. Or, 'Sexy Russian Spy.' Oh nope, wait, that's _my_ special nickname for her." He winked and Loki was reminded once again of the man's inability to take anything seriously. As Tony opened his mouth to spill forth more unsavoury words, Loki lifted a hand that quite literally took away Tony's voice.

After a moment of sadistically watching him flounder around in shock and confusion, Loki quickly briefed Tony on what he needed to know, silently wondering why his team had not informed him. "She has lost her memories, when she was found recently she knew nothing but her name and even though the Doctor has tried to get her identity back, it remains lost." He purposely did not mention the fact that it was he that found her, the strange attachment that had formed between them or that he had the ability to bring her memories back. He was certainly going to be keeping that to himself for an indefinite period of time.

Tony digested the information and then waved his arms in a way that suggested he was ready to speak. Loki flicked his hand and returned the voice he had taken, very aware that there was many people who would not have considered it to be a great loss if Tony Stark was not able to speak again.

"Well that all seems horribly depressing." Tony grabbed the drink he had previously offered Loki and drained the glass.

"I need your help to get her back." Loki said quickly, before any sort of sarcastic comments could be relayed toward him. Tony gave him a searching look and narrowed his eyes, holding up a single finger.

"One question. Why the hell do you even care?"

"Because she was stolen from me and I want her back!" Loki nearly yelled the words and all the lights in the lab flickered as sparks shot from around the bulbs, though nothing broke from the energy surge Loki's angry outburst caused.

"Whoa, calm down." Tony urged, splaying his hands defensively in front of him. "The last thing I need is for you to wreck my lab."

Loki hardly heard him, he was too shocked at his own reaction to Tony's question, furious at the way he had made it seem he did not care. But he didn't care, did he? He groaned and rubbed his forehead, all but throwing the camera he had taken from Natasha's room in the general direction of Tony. He caught it and held it up with a pointed frown. "And what exactly is your reasoning for hurling this at me?"

Loki glanced up, his anger abating but only to a point where it was just below the surface and could be easily reached if needed. "You use those to record images, do you not? Find out what it has recorded."

Tony rolled his eyes and Loki knew what was coming next, he could always tell when the other man was about to give a lecture that questioned Loki's intelligence. "It doesn't quite work that way genius. This _records_ but the recordings aren't on here, they run straight to the server. Besides, you broke it when you yanked it from the wall, look at all these wires."

Loki opened his mouth to speak but Tony cut him off, an act which brought the anger bubbling back to the surface, the interruption grinding at Loki's nerves.

"All is not lost though, I can probably get into the SHIELD database to discover whatever this camera picked up on, it will take me about half an hour, maybe an hour tops."

It took him less than fifteen minutes to crack his way in and both of the men were shocked at what they found.


End file.
